🔥The Sky On Fire🔥by Jenn Lyons

Dragons. High stakes heist. A failed rescue mission, and a dragon that wants her dead.

If you’re looking for a standalone dragon heist core (Fourth Wing hangover cure perhaps) here it is! Anahrod’s content living in the depth of the jungle protected by its dangers. However, her life takes a twist when she is coerced into a “rescue” which transforms into her stealing from a powerful dragon. Dangerous situations, world building , a lovely crew of characters, and plot twists await you in this fantasy novel!

The things I love about Fourth Wing:
- First person present, easy and accessible reading, contemporary prose
- Violet and her willful spirit (even if she’s not particularly smart)
- Xaden. Enough said. That man…
- The romance was great. Rebecca Yarros is a romance writer, so of course it was.

I did not find that in this book. From that perspective, I was let down. Though there were dragons!

The short version is, this book isn’t the next Fourth Wing. It’s not going to be. And that’s fine.

This book is great for people who want a more traditional dragon fantasy, with the traditional third-person POV and plenty of narrative distance. I’m guessing it will be a solid 3-4 stars for people who prefer to be in that space.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.

I found this book an odd mix. It was hard for me to get into, and I'm not sure why. I didn't find it overly complicated in terms of world building; I think it was more finding the characters hard to connect with. It is definitely plot driven and it's a strong and compelling story. I think I prefer books that do a little more character building than this one did. It's a fast paced book and if you like a good dragon story, you'll like this.
It's good, but not one I'd read again.

As a huge fan of the Chorus of Dragons series, I was incredibly excited to read The Sky On Fire, and this didn't disappoint one bit. It was billed by the publisher as combining "conniving dragons, lightning banter, high-stakes intrigue, and a little bit of heat" and 10/10 did this book deliver MASTERFULLY.

The misfit heist crew that Lyons created was hilarious, epic, and heartfelt - I especially loved the way the interactions between Anahrod and Gwyndarion developed. Each of the characters was unique and brilliantly rendered, and complimented the incredible worldbuilding. I'm not sure what magic Lyons possesses to create worlds that feel lived in and immersive--but also completely intelligible to the reader--from the very first page, but it's a wonderful talent.

I was hooked from page 1 by the initial setup, and I stayed hooked the whole time as the heist unfurled itself. The plot really got going at 30%, and I was glued to the book until I finished. This was the perfect standalone, even if I wish that it was a series because I didn't want to leave the world.

Lyons is a true master of epic fantasy and I will be reading each and every book she writes for the rest of her career.

I requested The Sky on Fire because dragons and a heist, and it absolutely delivered. This was a fantastic read full or quirky and diverse characters, wonderful world building, and plenty of action!

Always love to see a dragon book that actually features the dragons! Loved the world building and thought this was a fun, fast paced read!

I absolutely devoured this book! I love how centered on the dragons it was, and the humans were endearing as well. I can’t wait to check out more from this author!

Releasing July 9th, 2024
5 🐉 out of 5

dragons and heists all together in one exciting fantasy book? yes please.

this was my first Jenn Lyons book and I was not disappointed! I enjoyed every aspect of it; from the action-driven plot, to the fun characters and the writing style. every character felt unique and distinctive which is a credit to Lyons’ writing skills. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump recently and this surely got me out of it!

The fast pace of the plot never once felt confusing, it sucked me in almost immediately and left me on the edge of my seat each chapter.

thank you netgalley and Tor for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I love a book with dragons and I love a good heist story, so I had high expectations for this book, and not only did it not disappoint, it exceeded all of my expectations. I was absolutely obsessed with this while I was reading it, and now it lives rent free in my brain.

Anahrod’s only goal is survival; she lives in the dangerous jungles of the deep and has no plans to change her situation. Unfortunately, a kidnapping attempt by a war lord and subsequent rescue changes everything. The rescue is not at all the rescue she thought it was and soon she finds herself wrapped up in a plan to steal from a dragon that wants her dead.

This was pure action from the first page and it never let up. I flew through this book on the edge of my seat and with my heart in my throat. I was so invested in every main character, that every setback felt personal.

This is the standalone dragon fantasy I have always needed. If you are looking for an outstanding standalone fantasy, you definitely need to check this one out.

Thank you to NetGalley and TOR for a copy of this book (both physical and e-book). I leave this review voluntarily.

A heist with dragons?!!!

A group of misfits save Anahrod, independent and wilful and capable of communicating with animals, from capture by the local warlord. In return, they plan to rob the most powerful dragon’s hoard. A dragon that wants Anahrod dead.

All of Lyonn’s characters are always extremely quirky, distinct, and oftentimes brash. In such a diverse group with varying ages, motives, skills, and identities, she is able to build a fun, strong, and bold dynamic.

“It was easier," Ris corrected, "when the only person I loved was a dragon." Then she realized what she'd just said and sighed, closed her eyes, hung her head. "You're both like damn jungle vines." Hopefully that was because they were growing on her, and not because she thought they both needed to be pruned with a sword.

Don’t worry - this is not nearly as complex as Ruin of Kings.

Lyonns is always genius with her worldbuilding. Here, citizens wear ring which denote different aspects of their identity: career, gender, sexual preference, bedroom activities, etc. This seems like such an easier way of knowing who to date.

One thing that remains the same from her Chorus of Dragons series is the teasing at BDSM. Whilst this isn’t a ‘spicy’ book per se, it’s more dialogue hinting at fantasies, I personally didn’t find it to my taste.

“Shame I couldn't find a ring that means 'I'm attracted to people who are vengeance -obsessed and prone to extreme violence! Would've been perfect.’”
“Very niche.”
“No, very niche is renic root, which apparently means I am sexually attracted to cloth dolls."

This could be read as a standalone, and only the epilogue hints at how the next book might start. I am always astounded at authors who manage to write a high epic fantasy that satisfyingly ties off most loose ends in one book.

Thank you to Tor for providing an arc in exchange for a review.

This standalone fantasy book had me excited with its promise of dragons and heists 🐉. I enjoyed Fourth Wing & Six of Crows so the hype was real when I got approved for this ARC but sadly I found it a struggle to get into because of the heavy world-building 😩I also didn’t connect with the characters (don’t get me wrong I liked the characters but I hoped for them to be fleshed out more which is hard to do in a fantasy standalone). I will say I liked the unique magic system & found the last 30% of the book a lot more interesting. I would only recommend this book to high fantasy readers who enjoy the tiniest bit of romance (definitely not for readers of Fourth Wing or SOC in my opinion). I’m settling on ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5 for this one. Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, let's take a second to appreciate this cover! This stunning book was unlike anything that I've read before! In this world, Dragons rule all, including humans. In books I've read with Dragons before, usually, the humans are the ones truly in control, it was so interesting and unique to see the roles flipped! Anahrod wants to live with her titan drake in peace but when she is rescued by outsiders, she gets roped into a journey she never expected...

This story is plot-driven, with sub-plot romance to go along! I did find this book a little difficult to get into at first, as the world-building is heavy and very detailed, but enjoyed the characters and the amazing world that the author created!

Review posted to GoodReads (https://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/47481404) on 4/12.

A really great dragon story that combines Ocean’s Eleven (lacking the polish and grit of Kaz Brekker’s Crow Club) with a dragon school the doesn’t plunder from every other book series to create it’s plot. It should potential for romantasy with the lead throuple, but didn’t quite deliver on the sexy times. While I appreciate it being a standalone, I would not be sad to return to this world again and again.

⚔️ Fantasy Heist ⚔️

📚 Enter a world ruled by Dragons... We follow Anahrod who lives only for survival in the harsh jungles of the deep with her titan drake. When a couple of misfits save her from capture by a local warlord she is eager to return to her solitary life.

But this wasn't just a rescue. They intend to take her to the dragon-ruled sky cities, where they need her help to steal from a dragon hoard.

One problem, this hoard belongs to the current regent and she wants Anahrod dead.

📖 This is the dragon book we all need in our lives. The world was so lush, the beginning of this book felt like stepping into Jurassic park but instead of dinosaurs make it different types of dragons. I adored the atmosphere and setting.

The thing I may like most is the relationship between dragons and humans and Dragonriders. Unlike other Dragonrider books I've read humans are not in charge. Dragonriders are a tool for dragons to voice there authority. They are fierce and take no shit.

The characters are amazing, and the relationships and dynamics between the cast are complex and well flesh out. I enjoyed my time with them, there is tension, banter and great humour. This is also a queer-normative world and there is a delicious romance sub-plot. It's very minor though and in no way drives this plot forward.

The dragons, magic system and lore of this world were incredible. Filled with political intrigue and a fantastic heist. Honestly I'm gutted this is a standalone because I want to spend more time here.

Can I sparkle over a story? Cause I'm definitely sparkling over this book. First off all-- the "representation* that's in this story. So casually and brilliantly done, too! I love me some good representation and this book had boatloads of it. The idea of "garden rings" to show your pronouns and preferences is absolute genius.

The magic system is this world is top-notch, too. The bonds with dragons -- it's all so wonderful. Having dragons rule over the humans gives a nice twist to typical dragon stories and to have a whole religion built around dragons and their lore was fantastic.

I love Arahrod as a main character; she was wonderfully complex and fleshed out and you were cheering for her the entire time. I love when I can cheer for the protagonist the entire time. Arahrod's magical ability was wonderfully original and boy would I love to see more of her in a future story.. The secondary characters were fantastic as well. I loved each and every one of them, they were all so well written. Well, not some of them, but they were still written excellently as villains. Ris and Sicaryon were especially fantastic and so was Claw, Kaibren, and Naeron.

The world itself was wonderfully written, from the Deeps to the Skylands. I would like to have had more of the Deeps, but what we got was fantastic, especially Sicaryon's kingdom and the people that it contained. Gywdinion is posed to make a comeback and I would like to see more of his story as well.

All in all, this was a fantastic book and I would highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys great world-building, dragons and magic.

Personally I did struggle to read this book and so I didn’t finish. However, it is very well thought out and I did enjoy the unique world Lyons has created. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is going through their dragon phase.

First this cover is gorgeous and really does the story justice. When books say dragons they sometimes mean a bit of dragons but this story really made them a huge part of the plot.

I have mixed feelings about this because I really enjoyed the story, but - it felt like it dragged a bit in the middle and was unnecessarily long which had me feeling like I was slogging through it at some points.

Overall a great take on the dragon/dragonrider plot and the magical elements were quite unique.

Thank you for the early copy for review.

As a massive fan of Lyons' A Chorus of Dragons series, I was beyond excited to receive an ARC of The Sky on Fire. A stand-alone about dragon-riding inspired by the Pern books? Sign me up! And indeed, The Sky on Fire is a fun ride, a fantasy book with a heist core that follows a loveable collection of characters, dangerous situations, and more spice than I'd expect from a Lyons novel!

It's endearing, fun, and ultimately pretty satisfying - it probably was a little too much set-up, and not enough pay-off. I've seen a few people complain about character arcs that weren't entirely baked, and I can see that. It felt like the first 100 pages were SLOOOOWWWW. Once the gang got all together, the action kicked up and things got to fast-paced, but you had to hang in there. I appreciated the queer rep, and I appreciated the dragons - they're depicted here as complex, vicious, but not evil creatures.

All in all, this one was 3.5 stars out of 5 to me. Didn't blow me away, but I'd recommend it.

I generally liked this, but I found the character ARCs to be incomplete and ultimately unsatisfying. The writing is good, the character foundarions are there, but it's like there's no followthrough, just set-up. I wanted more development between the main trio of the book especially.

I loved this far more than I thought I would from the prologue. I almost put it down because I found the opening derivative, but it quickly grew on me as it changed into a heist novel, and a political intrigue, and a brief detour into a magical school, and well, it barely stops to take a breath. As I was reading I realised that why it felt so familiar at first was because it’s very much in conversation with Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series, which I devoured when I was a teen.

Lyons takes many of the ideas from Pern but plays them out differently, looking at dragons and telepathic bonding from a perspective where dragons have more power than the humans and play a more complex role within their society. They also have more complex personalities and relationships with humans and between dragons than Pern.

I would have liked a bit more character development and introspection; this is an action heavy novel, and character growth often seemed to happen because it needed to in order to support the action, not because the character was actually in a place they were ready to change. That’s a minor point, really, overall I devoured this book, and it was a great read!