In general, liked this but I felt like the character arcs were underdeveloped (especially considering how long this book is) and ultimately unsatisfying. I wish I had a higher review because there was so much potential!

Thank you SO MUCH to TOR and NetGalley for the eARC.
First of all: the cover is GORGEOUS.
Second of all: Heist story with dragons?? SAY NO MORE.

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!
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. 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.
As it is a heist story, I'm impressed at how well Lyons ties up all the different story paths and that the book comes to a conclusion. It is soooo refreshing to read a fantasy story that is captivating and is a standalone. Beginning, middle, and an end. Each part crafted to perfection with wit, adventure, magic, and fantastical dragons. What more does a fantasy reader want??

Thank you again to NetGalley and TOR for the early copy!

DNF. I wasn’t drawn in by the first couple chapters, was confused, and I didn’t feel like sinking time into a book I wasn’t connecting with.

Anahrod is believed to be dead, instead she is hiding in the jungles of the Deep. When the local warlord tries to capture her she is saved by an adventuring group, but her past catch up to her and the group of misfits need her help to steal from a dragon who wants her dead.

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were times when I felt the plot was too fast paced and other times when it was too slow. Something I really liked was the world building and the author’s creativity.
This world has so much potential, but it still didn’t meet my expectations. My biggest criticism is that I did not connect with the characters. We are introduced to too many characters at once, which not only confused me but also made it difficult to get to know them individually. Compelling characters are really important to me, so when the characters are lacking, I also lose interest in the plot. There were times when I wanted to DNF, but the story was engaging enough for me to finish the book.
Overall, I liked the world, and I can understand how some people will like this book, but I also can’t say I’m not disappointed.

Anahrod used to be a Skylander, until she committed an unforgiveable crime and was sentenced to death. She was thrown from a skyship to her death into the Deep. Somehow, she survived, and 17 years later, she has built a new life in the jungles of the Deep. This world is separated into sky cities who lives in the clouds, and the Deep, a jungle on the ground that most skylanders think is desolate and uninhabitable, and everything is ruled by dragons. Anahrod believes she has left her skylander life behind, until she is found by a group sent by a dragon to find her. She soon discovers that they are planning an ambitious heist to steal the First Dragon’s hoard, and her criminal past makes her a perfect addition to their group.

I came away from this book really loving the world. I think the author did a great job of creating two distinct realms, the sky and the Deep, and a believable government wherein the people run their cities but overall answer to the Dragon Council. There were a lot of descriptions of day-to-day life that helped immerse me in the world, and I really want more stories set here.

The rest of the book was mostly a miss for me. There were a lot of characters, and it took me a long time to keep them all straight, especially because the first half of the book has us moving locations every couple of chapters, so between trying to keep track of 7-8 main characters, you’re also trying to keep track of where we are in the world and why. I really disliked how the romantic relationships were handled in this book. The insta-love was so unbelievable, and one of the characters is set up as a villain in the beginning only to be a love interest as soon as he appears on page. There is one fairly explicit scene that comes out of left field and doesn’t fit the tone of the rest of the book. I felt that those relationships either needed more time dedicated to building them, or my personal opinion is that they took away from the actual plot, and the book would have been better without much/any romantic subplots.

Once I was about 60% in I was finally able to get interested in the story, but it was not a book that held my attention from the beginning. I did overall enjoy the author’s writing and would read more from her, but this book felt a little underbaked. I would still recommend for anyone looking for dragon-related books, fantasy, and LGBTQ+ representation.

I enjoyed this book immensely! After reading The Ruin of Kings I had to read this new release by Jenn.
I found the story engaging and very funny. I loved the humor, the characters and the world building!
The author incorporates some interesting concepts in this book. I loved everything! The rings, the dragons, the magic and the friendships! It is supposed to be a standalone but if in the future we see more books in this world, I wouldn't mind it one bit.
I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Rating: Absolutely Loved It, 5 stars

Jenn Lyons is back with her first novel after wrapping up A Chorus of Dragons, and she knocked it out of the park! The Sky on Fire is a standalone that follows Anahrod, a woman who lives in the jungles of the Deep after being cast out of the cloud cities ruled by dragons on the mountain peaks high above. She is just trying to mind her own business and live her life when she endures multiple rescues and subsequent kidnappings in a row and is drafted for a daring heist to steal the hoard of the current dragon ruler.

Some of what I loved about this book:
- The characters. I think that Jenn Lyons does a fantastic job of writing characters. When I feel like I know the characters well enough to anticipate their reactions to certain events that will happen, I know that they feel real. I think that Lyons' characters are so well crafted. The whole cast of characters is endearing and I loved all the character interactions that took place. The banter and back and forth discussions, even with side characters is top-notch. Anahrod is such an endearing, chaotic, disaster, and those are my favorite kinds of characters. I also loved Sicaryon, Peralon, Gwyndion, and Claw so much. I feel like even though this was a relatively short period of time that we spent with the characters, they felt authentic and fully fleshed out.

- The world: Jenn Lyons creates some of my favorite worlds. This is no exception. It felt so creative and fully formed. I felt like it was a place that I could actually visit and wander around - it felt like it extended beyond the story. I was fascinated with not only the different settings, but also the general set-up, the culture, and the magic. The dragons are the absolute power in this world, but they are forced to take on humans as riders to keep them from going rampant, a sort of maddened state brought about by magic usage, the only cure for which is death. In general they treat humans pretty terribly and ensure that they remain subjugated, but I loved Peralon's relationship with his rider and his general perspective on the world. The magic was interesting and there is sorcery, inscription, the ability to talk to animals, and the dragon's different affinities. The world building is just so rich and immersive.

- The inclusivity: this is a queer-norm world with a really cool system of identifying so many different things through the rings that one wears. This includes preferred pronouns, gender, sexual preferences, career, and so many other things. There was not much explanation for these rings and it was explained as we went, but I am hopeful that the finished copy may have some appendixes that explain them more fully because I found them fascinating. I also appreciated some of the discourse around the peoples of the Deep compared to the peoples of the sky cities and the pushback on the concept of "savages." There was also disability representation that I really appreciated - one of the characters is a double amputee in a wheelchair. He doesn't get a ton of page time, but I felt the way that he was portrayed was pretty well done and it was just a portion of his character, not his defining, sole characteristic.

- The plot: I am a hard sell on heist stories, but when they are more about the characters than the heist, I can get on board. I had such a great time with the plot. It is just such a fun adventure. I just had a blast being along for the ride. I loved the humor that we get, and just the general absurdity of some of the situations. This book made me chuckle numerous times whether it was character interactions, internal dialogue, or just goofy situations in general. Also, I feel like this did a fantastic job of wrapping up the loose ends of the story into a standalone book. The epilogue leaves a door open for a return, but I felt like the story this book was telling wrapped up nicely.

Overall, I definitely think that fans of A Chorus of Dragons will love this book! It has so many of the things I came to love so intensely about that series. I also think that this is a really good entry point to Lyons' works - the storytelling is much more standard and straightforward, and it's a standalone. I highly recommend this book, and it is definitely a favorite of the year so far!

The Sky on Fire releases on July 9, 2024. Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for an early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book had a lot of potential. The dragons and magic system are very unique. There were a few hang ups with the plot and character development that threw me off a bit.

If you like intense world building that really makes you work for it then this is perfect for you. Most of my Kindle highlights from the book are world building snippets and I still don’t know if I fully understand the world..

It’s definitely worth reading if you are looking for a fantasy book that is more plot driven than character driven.

Things I disliked:
-Fade to black sex scene (should be illegal)
-Romance side plot was not fleshed out enough
-World building is very confusing. Still finding out new information 80% through the book
-No map (could just be the ARC copy)
-The ending was very short, definitely needed more. I am still left with many questions.

Things I liked:
-Polyamorous relationship
-Lgbtq+ friendly
-Talking dragons
-Interesting story concept
-Heist

3.5 stars

While I really loved the premise and appreciated the unique building. I felt underwhelmed when it came to the characters and their arcs. Jenn Lyons is an amazing writer but unfortunately this wasn’t a memorable read for me.

Today’s book is one I’ve requested from NetGalley a long time ago (months). Considering it was from TOR and they have rejected previous requests from me, I was convinced I wouldn’t get it. I know it has something to do with publishing rights. Imagine my surprise when I received an email saying that my request was approved. So stay tuned to read my thoughts on "The Sky on Fire" by Jenn Lyons.

What I Loved
The world-building in "The Sky on Fire" is nothing short of incredible. Jenn Lyons crafts a fantasy realm ruled by dragons, where humans are considered inferior and serve the dragons to prevent them from succumbing to madness caused by their magic. The setting is immersive and captivating, from bogs that could erupt into an all-consuming fire to the dangerous yet rewarding task of harvesting precious stones from flying creatures. I was hooked from the beginning (well, almost), eager to explore every corner of this fantastic world.

The characters are another highlight. Lyons excels in creating a diverse cast of quirky, distinct, and brash individuals. Anahrod, the independent and willful protagonist capable of communicating with animals, stands out as a strong lead. The dynamics within her group of misfits, who plan to rob the dragon queen’s hoard, are fun, bold, and compelling. Characters like Ris, the flirty and badass dragon rider, and Sicaryon, the charming rogue, add layers of charm and excitement to the story. Their rapid-fire banter and the relentless pace of the plot kept me engaged throughout.

The character development is exceptional, and the plot twists and betrayals add depth to the narrative. Lyons doesn’t shy away from making her villains truly annoying and well-crafted, which only enhances your investment in the heroes’ journey. The heroine’s ability to call the shots and save herself at the end of the day is particularly satisfying.

What Didn’t Resonate with Me
Despite its many strengths, “The Sky on Fire” has a few drawbacks. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m impatient and love fast-paced stories. Well, this story starts rather slowly, and it took me quite a while to get into it. However, once the plot picks up speed, it becomes hard to put down. So, all in all it was worth it.

Another issue is the main character’s portrayal. Although Anahrod is supposed to be in her 30s, she often acts more like a teenager or someone in their early 20s, which can be jarring and inconsistent with her supposed age and experiences. Keep in mind that this is a subjective opinion, and you might not feel the same way.

For instance, I did not enjoy TOG for the same reason. I felt the MC who was supposed to be a hardened assassin, acted like a regular teenage girl and whined a lot. I know she was sixteen, but she didn’t give me the assassin vive I expected. But I digress. This is a pet peeve of mine.

Tropes to look forward to in The Sky on Fire
This novel takes a few classic fantasy tropes and gives them a fresh twist.

- Humans who bond with dragons

- Found family

- “Why choose” romance

- A heist

The story’s unique twists and turns are woven together with these elements, creating a seamless and thrilling narrative.

Conclusion
This is my first book by Jenn Lyons, but I don’t think it’ll be my last. “The Sky on Fire” is a thrilling, imaginative fantasy with strong character development, rapid-fire dialogue, and a richly detailed world. Despite a slow start and some inconsistencies with the main character’s portrayal, the book ultimately delivers a satisfying and engaging read. I think it’s a great fit for those who loved Fourth Wing. If you enjoy epic romantic fantasies with dragons, found family, and daring heists, this book is definitely worth picking up.

"The Sky on Fire" is a mixed bag of brilliance and missed opportunities. The world-building is a standout, with unique touches like the rings tradition and smooth gender fluidity. Anahrod, the protagonist, brings an interesting twist as she navigates high-stakes intrigue with her titan drake in tow.

The book’s blurb and prologue promise an exciting adventure, and the heist plot does deliver some thrills. However, the characters fall flat, suffering from a lack of depth and development. The romantic subplot, especially the poly relationship, feels forced and unconvincing.

The narrative’s transition issues and writing style may confuse and disconnect some readers, leaving them wanting more emotional engagement. Despite its potential, the book ultimately struggles to balance its vibrant world with compelling character dynamics.

In summary, "The Sky on Fire" gets 3 stars for its imaginative setting and ambitious plot but loses points for underdeveloped characters and a choppy narrative flow.

I was thrilled when I saw an ARC available on Netgalley for a standalone fantasy about dragons, AND the cover is stunning too..Unfortunately this book could use some additional editing/reworking.

Anahrod was presumed dead(executed years ago) but she's alive and has been living in the Deep(jungle vibes). She is kidnapped by a ragtag group of people and reluctantly agrees to their plan of robbing a dragon's hoard. Of course the dragon they are stealing from is terrifying and a Queen so Anahrod and her crew end up facing some wild and crazy danger. Oh and Anahrod has secrets and so do others in the group and they all must confront their fears to survive.

This book synopsis sounds great. A world where dragons can control their riders, most often without the riders consent, gives the book quite a twist as we usually see riders being the "abusers". It's a unique storyline and yet a lot of the dragon drama doesn't unfold until late into the story. The beginning of this book is a name dump and c'mon Jaemeh?? We couldn't just spell it Jamie..I get it it's fantasy but within the first few pages so many ridiculous names are thrown out I almost stopped reading. The world building is good but a map would've been appreciated. The characters are funny and snarky but I didn't develop any emotional connection to them, it also doesn't help there are A LOT of people mentioned. I think a smaller group with more depth and some maturity would have been better. I think these were all mid 20s to 30 year olds but it felt like teenagers(there is one teenager and oddly enough he was my favorite character-Gwyndion.) Pacing was way off. The beginning was hard to get through and about midway through I finally began to understand the places and names.

This is somewhere between a 2.5-3 star. I'll be generous and give 3 stars because the end was somewhat redeeming. It can be a great book if some of the stuff above could be worked out.

Okay, so hear me out. The cover of this book is so disappointing!! It absolutely did not capture the story like it should have! I hate to think based on the cover people may not choose this-we are all guilty of judging! I THOROUGHLY enjoyed this! Action packed, world building, it was YUMMY!

I loved the idea of this book. But for some reason I just didn't connect with it. Anahrod was a great character, and the world was well written but I found myself really struggling to want to pick the book up.

I was intrigued by the concept of this book, it’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc.

I loved this book! It took me a little while to get into it, but after about the first 20-25%, I was hooked. The story was so good and I really liked the spin on identifying gender identities, sexuality, relationships, and boundaries. The closed door spice was a nice touch since there were already so many different tense relationships and events happening. I’m hoping the ending left it open for a sequel, but it was wrapped up nicely so that I will feel content for a while before begging for more.

I’ve finally learned my lesson: Don’t judge a book by its cover. Except, this time the cover reeled me in because it was stunningly created and told me I’d be entering a world of dragons (I admittedly requested this ARC on the heels of finishing some very popular, mainstream dragon novels).

Let me begin with the positive, and that is that this author does have a good story here. I was very engaged and excited to see what played out at many times.

However, not only did I struggle to become interested in the book at first (a typical struggle for me with world building), but it was a trudge for me the entire way through. There were so many characters, which became overwhelming and almost diluted my ability to care deeply for any one character. The other biggest overarching issue for me was how overly descriptive sections became. For lack of a better word, it was boring for me.

I really feel there’s a good story here. The “love story” here isn’t my usual cup of tea, and I often prefer to be somewhat aware of what I’m stepping into when I choose a book to devote so much to time reading… But that’s just personal preference.

Thank you to Tor for providing the ARC in exchange for a review

I had high hopes for this book. It contained all the elements I typically adore in a five-star read: dragons, fantasy, romance, found family, a heist, and a diverse group of characters uniting. While the concept is intriguing, it didn't quite capture my heart. Personally, I struggled with the writing style the most. I want to clarify that I don't view it as poor writing, just not my preferred style.

I found the concept of this book intriguing. I enjoyed the world building tremendously and felt like the action was engaging and fun. I love that the lgbt+ representation in this, but I think the romance/relationships felt forced and a little silly. I also will express that I was expecting one thing for the romance (as stated in the description) and it was totally different than actual book.

The Sky on Fire was my first Jenn Lyons book and it immediately sucked me in. As soon as I finished, I ran to the library and picked up Ruin of Kings because I was ready for more.

Synopsis: The cloud cities are ruled by dragons, from which Anahrod was *literally* ejected 17 years before. She now lives only for survival in the warm jungles of the Deep with her titan drake. A misfit group of saviors (not so) accidentally rescue Anahrod from capture by the local warlord, Sicaryon. She is immediately thrust on an epic adventure as she learns that her rescue was very intentional and her past has come to call, as her saviors require her help stealing from a dragon's hoard for revenge, and to hopefully save future dragon riders.

Lyons' world building of the sky cities and the Deep was exceptional and immediately drew me in, I loved the social structure and the use of ring wearing to denote things like careers, gender, sexual preferences, and bedroom activities. The characters were diverse in their sexuality, love interests, and gender expression and it was such a run, daring, and exciting read as we transverse through the world and far into the sky with Anahrod and her misfit saviors. Lyons built a lovely dynamic between the characters that spanned ages, gender, motives, skills, identity, etc. and created a really fun group of characters, and ultimately a very fun and engrossing read. This book is touted as a standalone, but I hope we get to join Anahrod and her friends as they transverse their changing world together.