This book should have been everything I wanted in a fantasy novel: A standalone (yes, please, we need more of these!), band of misfits/found family, DRAGONS, cool magic, and supposedly older MCs. However, I was left feeling disappointed. I felt there was very little worldbuilding or explanation of anything--we're just plopped into it. And the plot was all over the place. First we're lead to believe it's all about dragon politics, but then all of a sudden we're in the jungle, and then a flying ship with a motley crew (which I loved because it was major Stardust vibes), but then we're at a dragon riding school for a heist?! Don't get me wrong, I love a good heist, but the school setting was never really fully developed to me.

Then there's a character who speaks in only poems/quotes, which got old, really fast. I was so excited the MCs were supposed to be in their 30s, but instead they acted like immature, horny teenagers. And speaking of which, a society where you wear your smexual preferences as rings for all to see gave me an immediate ick. And the 'late blooming man/woman' ring as a way to akwardly include trans characters just felt a bit off to me.

Then there's the super awkward spice out of nowhere, instalust, and more that I can't even get into here. I was not a fan. The ending was also a bit rushed IMO.

So overall, I was really hoping to love this one, and there were definitely parts that I did, including when the action really got going towards the end, but this isn't one I'll be rereading. Have to also call out: the narrator did a fantastic job with the different characters, and I really enjoyed listening while reading along on my Kindle.

Quote I loved:
"Why do intelligent beings always take having power over another as an excuse to do their worst?"

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced copy. This is my honest review.

The Sky On Fire is a fantasy story set in a world ruled by dragons. There’s a heist, an adventure, queer characters, jungles, dragonriders, magic, romance, found family trope… what’s not to like? And yet it was kind of a flop for me.

I was really exited about the dragons and the heist. But this book was a 3/5 stars for me. I really tried to love it.

The main reason why I didn’t love it was the pacing, it was bad. The book started off in the middle of an action we’re given a hint that it’s a political fantasy, which I loved but then too many characters were introduced at the beginning, too much was happening at once, I was confused. You’re dropped off in a jungle, there’s an adventure and then suddenly you’re on a ship, new characters are introduced (which aren’t really important and won’t be mentioned again until close to the end), then a heist is planned, the ship crew is forgotten. The book jumps from place to place to place.. it felt directionless and unfocused. I didn’t know what Anahrod’s (the main character) motive was, she just seemed to be following other characters’ interests.

Overall, it wasn’t all bad, I liked Gwydinon (Anahrod’s brother), the good dragons and the relationships they had with their riders, the main gang (found family trope will forever be one of my favorites), the use of magic.

Anahrod was a teenager when the dragons declared her a traitor and had her executed, but she survived and thrived in the Deep jungles far below the peaks where dragons ruled over society. Her past comes back to haunt her many years later as her survival is discovered, and the First Dragon, Neveranimas, wants to finish the job. The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons is a whirlwind of drama and action involving dragons, dragonriders, magic, and romance that both feel familiar to those who read her A Chorus of Dragons series but treads new grounds and new challenges as a stand-alone book.

The way Lyons writes dragons has always been one of my favorite parts of her writing. I prefer larger-than-life dragons, linked with magic but still connected to the world and a part of it. The Sky on Fire does this in spades. The society in which the Seven Crests has been built upon where dragons are above humans in the hierarchy, is essential to the plot and the relationships. Anahrod’s strong feelings about this and the bond between dragonriders and dragons is the part of her character that spoke to me the most. Exploring the politics, bonds, and relationships between dragons and humans stood out as a shining example of how world-building, plot, and character development should intertwine and build upon one another.

The bond between dragons and dragonriders is a fascinating part of the human-dragon relationship. Dragons need to bond with a rider so they don’t go rampant, a kind of berserker rage that doesn’t end when a dragon is overloaded with magic and yet treats the humans below them. I find the actual bonds in the story to be the most fascinating part. Between Jahmeh and Tiendremos’ abusive bond, Ris and Peralon’s close bond, and both Anahrod’s and Neveranimas’ disdain for the bond, no bond is the same. The conversations about the disparity between dragons and humans while dragons need human riders between the characters is a highlight of the book for me, along with getting to know more about the dragons dragonriders have bonded with, like Peralon and Tiendremos.

Another highlight of the book was the straightforward romance. The Sky on Fire, being a stand-alone, jumps into it quickly, as opposed to A Chorus of Dragons, which had five books for the romance to brew in, but not so quick as to feel rushed. Rather than anticipating when they will get together, the story explores how they build trust to make the relationship work. This is explored in the world-building as well with the Social and Garden Rings Skylanders wear that tell one another their preferences for partners and relationships. Sex in fantasy is often talked about when it is done so poorly that it is comical, but the way sex and sexuality are explored in The Sky on Fire should be praised for its creativity, tact, and the skill with which it is written.


The author writes an exceptional heist, and this novel does not contradict that. Much of the book revolves around the heist, which tells us plenty about our main characters, the cities, and the politics of dragons. Lyons does not skip any steps to get to the heists. We, as readers, get the recruitment phase, the planning, the adjusting of the plan when there is a setback, the execution of the plans when the window of opportunity opens, and the abandoning of the plan when it goes awry. Without spoiling it, Lyons makes great use of the no plan survives contact with the enemy trope that heightens the tension on the ride to the climax of the book.

Jenn Lyons continues to pack heartfelt character moments intertwined with superb world-building, which leaves me ultimately happy with The Sky on Fire but open to returning to the world and characters I’ve fallen in love with. The pacing is brisk, as it is a stand-alone, without sacrificing any character interactions that pack an emotional punch. When an author whose previous series became one you belove, it can be not easy when they write a new book in a new world with new characters. The Sky on Fire exceeds my expectations for the follow-up to Lyons’s finale to her last series, The Discord of Gods, and will be a book I pick up to read many times in the future.

It's like a dagger to the chest everytime a dragon-focused story dissapoints me.

Anahrod, in the Deep jungles with her titan drake, is reluctantly rescued from a warlord by an adventuring party. Instead of returning to the Deep, she is dragged into a scheme to steal from the dragon regent of the cloud cities, Neveranimas, who has a deadly vendetta against her. Caught between her desire for freedom and the looming threat of the dragon’s wrath, Anahrod faces a daunting challenge.

The author did an incredible job building a unique world. From the landscape and creatures to the magic system and daily life, Lyon explained everything naturally without info-dumps. The concept of humans serving dragons? Perfectly executed. Every aspect of world-building was flawlessly handled.

I’m usually a fan of misfit groups, but I struggled to connect with the characters here. They felt shallow, and I found it hard to discern their motivations. The limited information we receive about them is conveyed through surface-level dialogue and planning, lacking depth and nuance. Anahrod could have been a great female lead. She had the backstory to create rage and intense emotional conflict, but the author spent more time focusing on the shallow parts of her journey. As for the rest of the characters, I don't feel one way or the other, since none of them are particularly interesting to read about.

The pacing was abysmal. I love a steady paced plot balanced by character development and context. While the prologue suggested a fast-paced, action-filled adventure, by 20% into the book, I was forcing myself to keep reading. What began as a compelling read soon became a chore. It’s a shame, as I love heist and quest novels.

Overall, it’s unfortunate this book didn’t work for me. However, if you prioritize world-building over character development, and are willing to slog through the middle, this might be worth your time. Also, this is a standalone, so no need to be too dissapointed if it doesn't work for you!

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group, for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This was a fun adventure with many twists and turns that kept the story interesting! However, when these twists were not being revealed, it sometimes felt like the plot was being dragged out, and you were just waiting to get back into the action. With that being said, I really liked the idea of the storyline, and the heist and magic system was something that intrigued me.

I really liked Anahrod as a main character. Her determination to survive despite the challenges she faced was endearing and her magic was so interesting. I didn’t bond much with the other characters though, especially Ris. It was said in the book how Anahrod knew she was a good person, but all we saw was Ris lie to her until she had no other choice but to tell the truth. I liked all the characters, I just didn’t love them!

I would recommend this book to lovers of the heist storyline, fans of badass FMC’s and if you’re wanting a unique and interesting magic system.

This book was an absolute delight from the first word! I loved the world, with its dragons and magic, thieves and schools - basically think of any fun thing in a fantasy world and they appear here, including sky pirates. I loved the various interactions between Anahrod, Ris and the rest of the gang and thought that the characters were really well constructed. The plot is fast moving and constantly evolving without ever becoming too confusing or bogged down, which I really appreciated and it was lovely to read a standalone that was completely satisfying. Would I read more books set in this world with these characters? Absolutely, but this story has a clearly defined ending, which is so refreshing. Overall, this has cemented Jenn Lyons as one of my favourite fantasy authors and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a fun adventure with many twists and turns that kept the story interesting! However, when these twists were not being revealed, it sometimes felt like the plot was being dragged out, and you were just waiting to get back into the action. With that being said, I really liked the idea of the storyline, and the heist and magic system was something that intrigued me.

I really liked Anahrod as a main character. Her determination to survive despite the challenges she faced was endearing and her magic was so interesting. I didn’t bond much with the other characters though, especially Ris. It was said in the book how Anahrod knew she was a good person, but all we saw was Ris lie to her until she had no other choice but to tell the truth. I liked all the characters, I just didn’t love them!

I would recommend this book to lovers of the heist storyline, fans of badass FMC’s and if you’re wanting a unique and interesting magic system.

Come for the dragons, stay for the snarky heist

This was a fantastic story that flips the script on the current dragon book market. What is one thing that we know about dragons? They have hoards...and that is often missing from the current books featuring dragons. This is a world with dragons, their chosen riders...and each dragon hoards something different. And the dragons aren't very nice.

This was a non-stop story that goes from the depths of the valleys to the cities above the clouds where the dragons rule. Anahrod is hiding in the jungle valley, but everything comes crashing down when she meets a crew sent to find her. This has a little bit of found family, queer normalized society with rings for identity/preferences, a dragon rider school, magic, dragon hoards, sky pirates, and so much more.

Highly recommend, also if you loved Anne McCaffery PERN series, then this is a do not miss read.

This book was such a fun and enjoyable read. I love band of misfits on a grand heist and this provided just that. My only issue was that I didn't enjoy the romance aspect of it, because I felt the FMC had more chemistry with her ex than she did with the love interest. The banter between the fmc and love interest was fun but the FMC had way more reasons to hate her and the only reason she seemed to like her was lust. There was more sexual tension between them than actual chemistry so them being together didn't make sense to me. Absolutely everything else about the book I enjoyed, from the adventures to the descriptions, the world building and the representation all made this a really fun and engaging read for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN!
What an entertaining booK! Such high stakes, so mich adrenaline, and love, and smartasses who makes jokes! This is my best read of the year so far, it was such a joy to read it! The plot went so fast, the magic system works so well, people are smart and courageous, and sexy and cute, and they all go so well together! Truly one of my favourite books from now on.
I will have to add Lyons other books to my neverendinh tbr now.

This book had a slower start for me… at some point it was difficult to remember all the characters and their roles. I would say I had this issue for the first 70-80 pages.
After that it picked up quite a lot.

It was fast paced, I never knew what is going to happen next, the action was always changing and moving. The situations were creative and unexpected.

The characters were lovely, their interactions were great, the world was interesting and vast.

I really liked the politics (I would have loved more). I liked the ring sistem even if we did not get a clear definition (how many types of rings are there, why those associations, is there a ritual to getting them?).

And there are many more teasers(what really happened to Ris, have maybe a heartfelt discussion with Claw, the trans father, the genius mom with issues, the bio dad(how did that happen), etc)

The downside to this vast world is that it felt incomplete… it felt like the first book of a series… many characters that we did not explore thoroughly, relashionships left budding, the ending felt very rushed.

The last fight was just “fade to black” and then we got the epilogue. We got a lot of intrigue and tension building and it ended with “and they lived happily” with no real finality.

Another thing… most of the characters were over 30 but acting like early 20s. The “love story” was not really a love story. There was flirting, a drunk sex scene, word of family and worry for eachother but I did not get romance vibes. If it weren’t for the threesome (fade to black), I would have said it is an YA book.

Conclusion: good but the ending felt rushed and incomplete.

I was provided a copy of this book via @NetGalley.

Anahrod has lived most of her life hiding in the Deep. She can talk to animals but it’s her ability to talk to dragons that is putting her in danger. When she is kidnapped by Skylanders , she is forced to choose between safely hiding or risking her life for her long lost family and new friends/kidnappers. Ocean 11 but with dragons!
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC- my opinions are my own.

The Sky on Fire is an exhilarating read, packed with fun and adventure from start to finish. The author masterfully crafts a diverse cast of characters, each bringing their unique flair to the story. The world-building is rich and immersive, transporting readers into a vividly imagined realm where dragons soar through the skies. If you're looking for a book that combines excitement, depth, and fantasy, The Sky on Fire is a must-read.

I've been having a very dragony summer, and as someone who hasn't read anything by Jenn Lyons before, I'm really interested in checking out her series, because this really grabbed me. If the words "fantasy dragon heist" seem like something that's an automatic winner for you, I'm glad to say the book basically delivers on its own promise.

CHARACTERS
🔲 mary-sue party
🔲 mostly 2D
✅ great main cast, forgettable side characters
🔲 well-written
🔲 complex and fascinating
🔲 hard to believe they are fictional

PLOT
🔲 you've already heard this exact story a thousand times
🔲 nothing memorable
✅ gripping
🔲 exceptional
🔲 mind=blown

WORLDBUILDING
🔲 takes place in our world
🔲 incoherent
🔲 OK
✅ nicely detailed
🔲 meticulous
🔲 even the last tree in the forest has its own story

ATMOSPHERE
🔲 nonexistent
✅ fine
🔲 immersive
🔲 you forget you are reading a book

PACING
🔲 dragging
🔲 inconsistent
✅ picks up with time
🔲 page-turner
🔲 impossible to put down

Sadly this didn't work for me, I couldn't get invested in the story or the characters :c

This "ragtag group on a heist" with dragons was a genuinely fun read. The worldbuilding and magic were coherent and interesting. The only slight downside was that some of the side characters blended together for so much of the story.

I really wanted to love this. I tried picking it up multiple times but I just couldn’t get through it. I’m sure it has everything to do with me and not the book.

I had a hard time with this book, but every reader is different and reads differently. I was crying a few pages in when the first beloved creature died! I really wanted to love this book more but for me it was difficult to follow. I personally need something slower paced.

I do love the descriptive, immersive writing, the rag tag misfit main characters, the exciting heist, and the idea of dragons controlling the realms of Sklylanders, rather than humans being in control of the dragons. The magic system and Anarhod’s powers are amazing. It’s a novel idea that pays off at the end, making the story that much more interesting.

However, so many characters, places, realms, types of monsters, tribes, bits of world building, complex magic systems, dragons, and political systems were introduced in the prologue and first chapter that my head was spinning in the DEEP. The reader is tossed right into the action without knowing a single thing.

The romance between Ris and Anarhod seemed a bit forced and out of place. The story didn’t really need a romance subplot. As far as the characters I loved fiesty and fiery dragon rider Ris!

This is an action-packed extremely fast paced story that doesn’t give the reader a break. The heist is fun and very high stakes, but for me, the story moved too fast without taking the time to properly convey fleshed out characters and world building. I really wish this was a series so there would be time to add more depth and detail.

As always, I recommend reading this twist on the traditional “dragon narrative” for yourself to see if you like it!

The Sky on Fire was such an unexpected favorite for me! I struggled to get into The Ruin of Kings, but I had heard that this book didn't have all of the timeline switching and whatnot, and I was so pleasantly surprised! Despite being a pretty long book, The Sky on Fire was a fast read that kept me hooked the entire time. I loved the heist plotline, as well as the "lost magical woman" trope. The worldbuilding was so unique, with dragons being able to hop into the bodies of their riders, as well as dragons being at the top of society. I read a lot of books that feature dragons that are treated basically like horses, so it was interesting to see that trope flipped around.

Last year I finally read The Ruin Of Kings and I was amazed by it. I loved that book to pieces and so, when I saw that the author was publishing a new series I just had to read it. And okay, I know, the most logical thing would have been continuing the first series (and I am planning on it, I have the second book waiting for me on my shelves, and I have all the intentions of going back to it pretty soon), but I am just a little bookworm, and my will power is nowhere to be found when we talk about books. And we have dragons! And it is a shiny new book!! And have you looked at the cover?? It’s beautiful! So… how could I resist?? It was a lost fight from the start.

Anyway, back to the book. I think that if we compare Ruin of Kings to this one, this new baby will come out as the “loser”, because the first book is really complex and deep and layered. And these things were all things I loved about it. And my emotional investment in the characters and in the story was really high. The Sky On Fire is a bit lacking in this respect. I am not saying that this is a bad book (I loved it!) but it is less. It is not as complex and the emotional investment wasn’t as high, to be honest.
But still, it has a fascinating and deep world-building, and I enjoyed the characters. And all in all, reading Ruin Of Kings was, from time to time, a bit of work (and I am saying this in the best possible way, but it was a demanding book) while The Sky On Fire is easier to follow, reading it was a more relaxed endeavor, if this makes sense to you. As a whole, reading this book was a nice experience, almost a relaxed one (if we compare it to the other book. I am not saying that this is a cozy book. It is not. By any means. We have high stakes, a lot of action, dangers, and twists, and all that. ) and I couldn’t have enough of it. Every time I put it down all I wanted to do was pick it back up again. But life can be so cruel!! But still, even with all the things that real life demands of us, I devoured this book!

I know that comparing books is not always a good thing to do, because our expectations can be our worst enemy, but it is so hard sometimes. But now that is out of our way, so let me tell you a little bit more about this book. It is its moment to shine!
We have a complex world-building, diverse and full of details. The author did a pretty good job with it, I think. I loved that we have a lot of different cultures, and I loved the part about the rings. It was a really complicated side of the culture, and it is a bit confusing, but people wear rings to show their identification (like their pronouns), their romantic status, their preferences, and all that. And I wanted to know more about that. I think that it was a bit confusing at times, sure, but I loved it! And maybe we would learn more in the sequels?? (I really hope there will be other books in this series, and I hope to learn more about this world! And the characters!!). Also, we know that there are different cultures, and I just wanted to explore more!
And we have dragons!! Let’s not forget about that!

We have also a diverse cast of characters, and every single one of them has their own personality. They all feel real, even if, to be completely honest, my emotional investment in them wasn’t as high as it could have been. I don’t know what it was lacking, but even if I enjoyed all of the characters, and even if I was interested in them and invested in them, I wasn’t all in. For example, at one point one of them dies. I won’t say who or how or anything like that, just this. And I was sad, sure, but not so moved by it as I could have been (and as I wished to be). So there was something lacking here, but still, I enjoyed all of them, and I really really liked Ana and Sicaryon (I hope I got his name right!). Especially this last one, I wanted to know more because he was like an itch to scratch, you know what I mean? He is a character with so much potential, and I just wanted to know more about him, to see more of him around because he just shimmers with all the unexpressed potential.
And let me tell you that all the characters are still worth meeting. I had a lot of fun with them.

And last, but not least, the plot. I think that this book can be compared to some action movies, the ones you watch with popcorn, to chill out and have fun. Because we have so much happening here! A heist, twists and turns, a bit of political intrigues, dragons, and magic! There is a bit of everything or almost everything, and it was fun! Also, it has quite a fast pace, so I didn’t have a single moment of boredom. I was constantly engaged in the story and I always wanted more!

I think that if you read this one expecting something as complex and deep as the other series, you may be disappointed, because this is simply not what this book is. But if you are in for some fun, a lot of action, dragons, and good characters, with a vivid and diverse world, well… you would not be disappointed!