Do you love arranged marriage? Secret identities? The ‘touch her die’ troupe? Dragons?? Romantasy that is more romance with fantasy vibes? Then this is the book for you! Buckle up for some troupey, cheesy fun in a book that you will not want to put down!

I will highlight that world building wasn’t really a thing in this book, but if you’re after a book you can dive straight into, this was overall a really fun read that I would recommend to any light romantasy lover (emphasis on light when it comes to the fantasy aspects). This book made me giddy, in a kicking my feet in the air kind of way (and if you read this book, this could be you) and I honestly cannot wait for the next instalment!

A big thank you to Lara Baez, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you liked My Lady Jane and/or thought the wildlings in Game of Thrones were kinda sexy, then this book is for you! Add some dragons and you have a solid adventure.

A Fire in the Sky is a dual-POV romantasy. FMC Tamsyn has been taken in as an orphan to live with the royal family. She gets to live as a royal, the catch being, that she takes all punishment for her sisters (as royal children are untouchable in that way). When the Lord of the Borderlands, a brutish warrior, demands the King wed one of his daughters to him in exchange for his continued alliance, a plan of deceit is hatched. Tamsyn is to wed the Lord.

This is not the greatest book ever written but I certainly had a fun time from start to finish! Dragons, magic, witches, warriors! The beginning is predictable, but then it does take a direction that left me surprised. The characters could have had a bit more depth to them, but overall I enjoyed them all and their roles in the storyline. Some of the spicier scenes were a little cringey. Overall I think this is an exciting story and an easy read in terms of the genre. I’m super interested to see how the story continues!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings: sexual content, child abuse, violence, death, war, bullying, fire/fire injury

Dark secrets, hidden deception, and fiery passion are revealed in this new romantic fantasy read.

Growing up, Tamsyn has been an outsider, not quite a part of the royal family but close to them. When a stranger from a distant land known as the Beast comes seeking compensation for his heroism, she must make the great sacrifice of tricking him into a marriage alliance. But what happens when unexpected sparks start flying and he isn’t what he seems?

Instantly, the concept of an arranged marriage, a lush fantasy world, and an enemies-to-lovers romance (and dragons!!) intrigued me, and I was excited to dive into this new romantasy. All of these tropes were very present throughout the book, but the execution and progression of them weren’t a favorite of mine, making this a difficult book to rate. But the mystery surrounding the dragons and the premise of possibly finding out more kept me flipping pages.

2.5/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I enjoyed this one and can’t wait to read the next installment! Read this if you're a fan of romance ("touch her and die"), and hidden pasts. The plot slowed down a bit towards the middle due to long exposition/internal monologue, but the romance and adventure kept me wanting more. Overall, enjoyable and I would read more.

Talk about twists, turns, and turbulence. This book was like riding on the back of one of the featured dragons and all I could do was hold on for dear life. Proceed with caution because the end is a doozy.

4.5 stars. I had so much fun reading A Fire in the Sky. It kind of reminded me of a Julie Garwood book (aka, an eighties historical romance). Fell (aka The Beast) has total highlander vibes, and the whole arranged marriage/ marriage of convenience/ reluctance really took me back to her books in the best of ways. Except, this is Julie Garwood plus dragons. I've been on a romantasy kick all year, and of the 2024 romantasy new releases, A Fire in the Sky is at the top of my list for favorites. Parts of it are maybe a little too cheesy or tropey, but I don't care. Because this was so damn entertaining. We get steam, enemies to lovers vibes, action, and dragons! Ok, ok... it takes a while for the dragons to show up, but things really end with a bang in that regard, and given that ending, I am begrudging the fact that I have to wait for book 2, which per goodreads, doesn't even have a release date. This is a real bummer for me and I'm gonna need Sophie to get on that. If you are the type that likes your fantasy books to have really rich and well developed/ described world building, A Fire in the Sky may not be for you. Honestly, apart from the fact that there are dragons and witches, there's not really any world building at all. And that was perfectly fine with me, because sometimes world building and exposition can slow the story down. But for me, there weren't really any slow moments in A Fire in the Sky. Honestly, I really can't say enough how entertained I was by this book. It had its faults, but at the end of the day, this was a book that I kept wanting to pick up. And I can see myself thinking about that ending for several days. If you like historical romance (which this is not, but does have those vibes) and romantasy, I think you'll find this one very entertaining. I truly can't think of a better word to describe this book.

Thank you so much to Jordan, Harper Voyager, and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

In a world of magic and deceit,
Tamsyn's story is one you must meet.
As the whipping girl for royal kin,
Her life takes a twist, a new begin.

Married to the Beast of the Borderlands,
Fell, the king's trick played by his hands.
But perhaps this union is not so bleak,
As Tamsyn finds a love she seeks.

Dragons and magic, long thought dead,
A world where secrets are widespread.
For a fantasy reader, this is a treat,
With a bit of spice, a story so sweet.

NetGalley and HarperCollins, we thank thee,
For this advance copy, we can't wait to see.
The continuation of Tamsyn and Fell,
Their story we'll follow, through heaven and hell.

i personally could not get into it. i didn’t feel a connection with any of the characters and felt like they didn’t have a connection either. the writing style just wasn’t for me. i wouldn’t say it’s a bad book at all. just wasn’t for me.

This book sounded like it had so much promise. Dragons? Witches? A royal deception? Sounds great! Unfortunately, I felt it fell short. It is heavy in the inner dialogue, and is super repetitive. The MFC will say the same thing 4 different ways in one of her inner dialogues, and then in the next chapter she does the same thing, about the same topic. If this repetition was removed the book would be so so much shorter.
There are some beautifully written passages though, it’s a shame the repetition takes away from it. The big 2 big reveals weren’t surprising, and while the book ends on a pretty good cliff hanger, I’m not sure I care enough about the characters to continue on with this series.

This had so much promise but fell short on just about everything. The characters were flat and boring. I did not care for any one of them, even when it was painfully obvious that the author wanted us to care. The plot was nonexistent until the last 5% of the book and even then it was rushed. The spicy scenes were so cringy and hard to read. At one point the FMC called her breasts “peaches” and that was just the start. The “twist” was not surprising and you can clearly see the author setting it up. I hated Fell and Stig. Both men are assholes and don’t deserve redemption.. apparently as the reader we are just supposed to move past this and not be bothered about them. I HATE Tamsyn. She is so annoying with her inconsistent actions. If you read this just be aware that you won’t be surprised she got treated like a door mat. But she tries to grow and change into a “strong” character, but again falls short and remains the door mat.
This is a warning for anyone who thought this involves dragons (the creature) and not dragon shifters.. this is a shifter book. Imagine how disappointing it is to find out that the dragons aren’t actual dragons like the synopsis made it seem.. Honestly, this was so disappointing and not at all well written. I won’t be continuing this series, as I have absolutely no interest in anything that will happen in the next one.

Final rating: 2 stars ✨

I really liked this book. I got the chance to read this book before its release. Thank you Harper Collins via Net Galley. Fell is promised a princess from the king and queen to unite the borders. Instead of one of the princess’s he gets the servant whipping girl. On the wedding night he finds out she is no princess, but he decides to stay married to her to avoid war. Fell wants to have someone to love since he does not have any family alive. Upon going back to his home his wife is sore from the three day ride and has rubbed her thighs raw? Fell tries to help Tamsyn and a witch that emerges from the Forrest decides to give her a balm. Witches are outcast but Fell wants to help Tamsyn. Fell’s comrades do not like Tamsyn and tries to lure her to her death….
There is more than meets the eye with this book! There is betray, lust, magic, dragons, witches. The book ends on a major cliff hanger and I will be reading the second book!

A Fire in the Sky is the latest romantasy by the talented Sophie Jordan. Everyone believes that the dragons died out years ago, but what if dragons walk amongst humans and in some cases not even knowing that they are dragons. A Fire in the Sky has a little bit of everything like dragons, witches, treachery, betrayal, and love.
It gripped me from the very beginning and held me captive till the end. I loved reading the beginning of Tamsyn and Fell’s story and can’t wait to read what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing the ARC.

I love a good romantasy, especially one where the things that people assumed were dead have a way of coming back to life in a lot of intriguing ways.

This book centers around Tamsyn, the royal whipping girl, and Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands. Through an arranged marriage, these two characters come together and their chemistry is immediately palpable, even if their situation is far from desired. And while I wish this book leaned more into the fantasy side of its romantasy label, I was still very much engaged by the journey of these two characters.

The writing could use some work in places - I was getting to a point where I felt that certain things were becoming overwrought and repetitive, but it is a solid story and great for anyone who wants something that scratches that romantasy itch.

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐲
Rating: ★★★★★
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

How do you sleep after finishing a very good book at 11:58pm?!

You don’t.

So I close my eyes and let myself dream of fire—soaking up in the fiery bliss that this novel has brought forth. A novel with that ending is one I don’t mind burning me

Thank you so much to netgalley for granting me a copy of this book! I did not expect to be hooked this much on Fire in the Sky! The setting, the magic system, the promise of a

“𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬.”

The story flowed like fine tune slowly slowlyyy arising into a crescendo. From the instant chemistry between Tamsyn and Fell on the first part. To the marriage deception that got me squealing like a a crazy woman. And as the story went on, little by little, truths unravel before me, piecing together that one BIG picture—that rendered me speechless.

I AM IN AWE. Saying I’m excited for the next book is underrated—I need it like I need a piece of a puzzle to complete 𝙈𝙔 bigger picture. So until then, I’m incomplete.

Read if you like:

🔥 Romantasy
🔥 Dragons
🔥 Arranged Marriage
🔥 New Adult

An adopted princess is forced into a political marriage with a dragon hunter but when her feelings for him grow, so does the strange magic inside her, creating chaos amidst a fraught alliance, shape-shifting magic, witches and dragons.

The worldbuilding was interesting and Tamsyn was easy to like but this book was far too long for the plot. It felt like half a story pulled into a full book.
Still, I liked the lore and the background about the dragons and the witches but there wasn't to much of a focus on it yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

This was a fun, quick read! There were aspects of this book that were brand new to me which is always refreshing! Definitely did not see the ~twist~ coming, very interesting and I’m excited to see how the series progresses. Entertaining read 🤗

💜ARC Review💜
A Fire In The Sky
Sophie Jordan
spice:🔥🔥
rating⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝐼 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓅𝓊𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝓌𝓃, 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒽𝑜𝑜𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝒷𝑒𝑔𝒾𝓃𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔.
𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓈𝓎 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒯𝒶𝓂𝓈𝓎𝓃, “𝓇𝑜𝓎𝒶𝓁 𝒲𝒽𝒾𝓅𝓅𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁” 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐹𝑒𝓁𝓁 “ 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐵𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝐵𝑜𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓇𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓈” 𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓈 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓉𝓌𝒾𝓈𝓉𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝓊𝓇𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓈 𝒯𝒶𝓂𝓈𝓎𝓃 𝒾𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝓇𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝐹𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝑒𝓍𝓅𝑒𝒸𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔.
𝒟𝑒𝒸𝑒𝒾𝓉.
𝒯𝓇𝒾𝒸𝓀𝑒𝓇𝓎.
𝑀𝒶𝑔𝒾𝒸.
𝒟𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑜𝓃𝓈.
𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓈𝓀 𝒻𝑜𝓇?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my arc copy in exchange for my honest review

♾️ stars, I devoured this book!! One of my favorites so far this year! Arranged marriage, dragons, enemies to lovers!!! I will recommend this to everyone I know!!!

I thought this was a great story. Tamsyn, as the whipping girl for the royal princesses, lives a good Stockholm syndrome version of a life. When the Beast of the Borderlands, Fell, comes looking for a bride, the king and queen decide to play a bit of a trick and Tamsyn winds up married to Fell. This is arguably one of the best things to happen to her. This is set in a world where magic and dragons are long dead… or are they? I would definitely recommend to a fantasy reader that doesn’t mind a bit of spice. I’ll also be waiting for the continuation of Tamsyn and Fell’s story!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advance reader copy!

Synopsis: As the royal “whipping girl”, Tamsyn was brought up alongside three princesses as their sister, but must be the one to take their punishments. When a warrior known as The Border King from the dangerous borderlands comes to the palace to claim a princess as his bride, Tamsyn will save one of them from this fate by secretly marrying him instead.

Thoughts: TL;DR I wanted more dragons. This story takes place in a world where dragons are supposedly extinct and magic is dead, so a large portion of the book is very light on the fantasy aspect. The main plot line involves the arranged marriage and the dangerous trek to the borderlands that has our main characters warming up to each other. There is some (albeit awkward) spice, and the relationship between them is fairly intriguing with good chemistry. I actually liked where the story ended up going, but wish that it hadn’t been so predictable - I think I knew from the first quarter of the book what the twist was going to be. That being said, I think the set up for a second book is pretty solid and I will definitely check it out.

Read this if you like:
🐉 arranged marriage
🐉 enemies to lovers
🐉 romantasy
🐉 dragons
🐉 dual pov