It's such a good concept and a fast read, but this one didn’t do it for me.

1. Too repetitive - we keep getting the same things said 3+ times and even within pages and paragraphs between each other.
2. The different perspectives didn’t flow well together. Instead of a continuous timeline flow between each POV, it was more like they retold the same things that happened without new information.
3. It's not necessarily “telling and not showing,” but there is basically barely any dialogue. It’s mostly the two MC’s inner monologues about their feelings and some history with a bit of action here and there, so it's not exactly “telling and not showing,” but also kinda?… if you're able to understand any of what I meant, haha.
4. I don't feel the FMC and MMC’s relationship AT ALL; it lacks substance.
I mean, get a load of this… its a doozy: We have them not talking on their journey, then when they finally talk and decide to try to make it work, something (that I can’t tell you because of spoilers) happens, and that’s when he goes crazy, and he decides he can’t live without her. Then we get nothing on the rest of their journey back, but they immediately wanna fuck, and things happen. They distance themselves again, then he is willing to drop everything for her; something else (I can’t tell you again because of spoilers) happens again, he gets angry with her, they fuck again, and ending with him still somewhat angry, but they are fine holding hands. It’s like that bond that they feel is the only thing that tells them why they are drawn to each other and want each other because they barely even talk!
5. Honestly, I feel like all relationships between characters just aren’t fleshed out enough for me to believe them. They all feel a little flat.
6. Hate Stig… but I also don’t really like Fell either because we don’t get much from him. Just inner monologue but no interactions or dialogue with others. He’s somewhat boring, and he kind of has a blah personality to me because we don’t get much in terms of actions or dialogue from him, only his inner monologue, his character/personality, and his development throughout the book lack a lot of substance (again that word), in fact, all the characters do.
7. I keep picturing the dragons as people with dragon features from the way she wrote about them. Ex: “ I brought my knees up to my chest, hugging myself tightly. Fell was there.
Dropping down, he wrapped an arm around me.”
And “lifting the bundle in her arms and setting it on the waiting bed.”
There are so many more, too.
8. This book felt very YA to me, but with sex.

I know I had many issues with this book, and I said it wasn’t for me. However, it still has entertaining moments and is a book you can easily read within a day or two. It also has dragons, witches, and other creatures, exciting magic, and an interesting cliffhanger that you don’t see coming. I know that even though this won’t be mine, it will still be a favorite for many people!

Thank you, NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Sophie Jordan, for an ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review.’

A Fire in the Sky is the start of a new, fast paced romantasy series. Full of adventure, danger, steam, and magic - I was barely able to put this book down. Even as I was falling asleep (exhausted mom problems), I would jolt myself back awake to keep reading. The twists were twisting, the spice was spicing, the battles were brutal, and the cliff hanger is leaving me barely hanging on.

This first installment to this kingdom and dragon centered series will be published on September 24th, and I am already desperate for book 2! This is definitely worth the read!

Well I devoured this in 2 days. I just couldn't put it down. The tension between Fell and Tamsyn just kept pulling me in. It was a very bingeable read and I had a great time with it.

There were some little things I didn't love. The author kept using repeating words and it became so often that it would pull me out of the story a little bit. The lead up to the bedding ceremony gave me intense anxiety and I nearly DNFed just to avoid it lol. And I wasn't a big fan of some of Fell's "titles" - I was not a fan of Lord Beast. But all of this was pretty minor and really did not take away from my overall enjoyment.

I would definitely recommend this if you like other romantasy books like Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, etc. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Enemies-to-lovers
Arranged marriage
Fated mates
Dragons and magic
Multiple POVs

A Fire in the Sky is an entertaining and sexy romantic fantasy. It has all the required elements: interesting worldbuilding, sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, complex grey characters, magic, and (somewhat predictable) twists. After mostly reading contemporary romance lately, I wanted to read more romantasy, and A Fire in the Sky was exactly what I needed. The book ended on a cliffhanger, so I hope we don't have to wait too long for the next book.

A captivating dragon fantasy that will leave readers spellbound. With its intricate world-building, complex characters, and masterful plot twists, this novel stands out as a gem in the genre. Tamsyn, the unwavering protagonist, and Fell, the Viking-inspired warrior, lead a cast of memorable characters through a richly detailed medieval setting. Jordan's storytelling keeps readers engaged from start to finish, making this a must-read for fantasy enthusiasts and a strong contender for best book of the year.

A fun, quick read for the romantasy lover in your life. I really enjoyed the "twist" of the main characters and found the overall plot to be engaging.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Tamsyn was raised among royalty but is far from a princess. She is the royal whipping girl, and it is her duty to take punishment for her “sisters”. When a distant lord, Fell, known as the Beast of the Borderlands, arrives and asks to marry a princess, Tamsyn is made to wear a veil and marry in the place of a true princess. But can a marriage that begins with such treachery survive? While passion begins to develop despite a troubled beginning, there are some secrets so deeply hidden their reveal could signal destruction to an entire kingdom.

Sophie Jordan just delivered a masterclass on fantasy romance! The character development and plot felt well-balanced and perfectly paced. It is a multiple POV story and each chapter gives nuggets of world building that was easy to follow and fascinating to read. I loved Tamsyn and Fell and the medieval fantasy world they inhabit. The characters are unique yet relatable and I was rooting for them the entire book. I am so glad this is a series, beware an exhilarating cliffhanger!

This book was not exactly what I expected, I was intrigued by the thoughts of dragons and a love story.
The story told seemed so much deeper than just another love story, and to see the character transformation and how the story flows was great. I enjoyed the adventure of Tamsyn finding herself. The beginning of this book was sad for how she was treated but I felt like I could see straight through the antagonistic characters in the royal family. The only surprise was her best friend.
I was unsure how her new husband would fit into the story but that ending was perfect!
I need book 2 ASAP! Please :)
Thank you NetGalley, Sophie Jordan and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

God I wanted to love that book. Unfortunately it didn’t work for me. The instant attraction between them didn’t bother me but the zero chemistry and the awkward s*x didn’t help them and the plot. Fell is very dismissive with Tamsyn and after a ‘major’ event realise he loves her. The plot was some how very predictable. And the ending just with the ‘rescue’ and the ‘hate’ s*x scene wasn’t working for me.

The writing seem off as well and Fell is very vulgar, if it’s to give him a more brutal and raw effect, that didn’t work for me either. I just thought he was rude and crude for no reason. And when there is no major actions it felt like a long monologue of thoughts and quite repetitive. I’m actually so sad cause I wanted to live that book so much it was one of my most anticipated book of September.

DRAGONS! DRAGONS!! I honestly really enjoyed this. I read it in two days. Such an easy read with suspense and the fantasy was quite enjoyable. I really hope there is a second book because I feel like I need MORE. But if you are looking for a nice fantasy book this would be a good one.

This book was one of the strangest yet entertaining books I have ever read. The plot is memorable and vastly different than many other romantasy books out there right now. There were a few very shocking scenes, which definitely drive my interest especially in the beginning. I did see the plot twist coming, but I think it was a welcome plot point regardless. The story has quite a bit of inner dialogue, which at times dragged. While this particular writing style and story is odd for me, I can see this book being a favorite for many people. I will definitely be continuing the series to see where Tamsyn and Fell end up, the cliffhanger ending definitely left me wanting more!

I have a lot of mixed thoughts about this book. I’ve always felt like Sophie Jordan’s writing style is very basic and very quick and this transition from historical to fantasy was interesting. I felt like the writing was pretty flat most of the book, a little bit repetitive, but overall I enjoyed it despite how lackluster of a review I’m giving it rn 🤣 Sometimes fantasy authors cause try so flipping hard to build this epic world and it drags on and their expansive phrases strangle me to death. This book though I feel like could’ve used a bit of a fantasy boost. Just. Give it a little bit more flavor in the writing style.

I liked these characters, I liked the premise, the little twisty ending there was uh. Idk. Idk how I feel about it. I honestly loled like whuuuuuuttt the fuuuuhhhhhh at multiple times throughout this book and I don’t understand what the hell is going on but who ever does in fantasy, amiright?

I need more people to read this for further discussion.

Will be continuing this because despite everything I’ve said I enjoy Sophie Jordan and I enjoyed this book.

I could not put this book down. I was enthralled from the beginning to the end. Everything ran together well and, every chapter I had to keep reading because I needed to know what happened next. I enjoyed the characters, even though I think they could’ve used more depth. The ending was gripping, and leaves many different options for a second book! This book reads like a SJM book, where everything happens in the last 15% of the book but wowza was it enjoyable.
I would’ve loved some more world building and a larger confrontation in terms of storyline, but I can see that coming in future books. Even though I would’ve liked more from this book, I couldn’t put it down, so I have to give it 4 stars. I’m looking forward to the next book, would definitely recommend!

Whooo boy I DEVOURED this book in one day! Sophie Jordan doesn't pull any punches with this one. The characters were compelling, the plot moved quickly and the stakes were high throughout the story. If fantasy isn't your usual genre I'd still check this out because it has just enough worldbuilding to flesh out the world but not so much that it devolves into infodumping. The plot was so engaging and I fell HARD for our main character. There's something so angsty about whipping girl/boy characters. I adored how Sophie Jordan allowed Tamsyn to feel complex feelings about the people who raised her but also allowed her to be hurt. It was incredibly cathartic to read about her untangling all those complicated feelings about her upbringing. Arranged marriage is perhaps my favorite trope so I was thrilled when the story went in that direction. I felt for both our leads as they were placed in a complicated situation and it was an absolute joy to see Tamsyn find someone who would finally pay attention and actually see her for who she is (and not just a tool to be used). I felt so many things reading this book and now I am on the edge of my seat waiting for book 2!!

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with this ARC of A Fire in the Sky! So grateful to have had the opportunity to read this early and review it!

A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan was a read I just absolutely ate up! The dragon lore 👀, the strong FMC who will do anything for those she loves, the dark and bad Beast of the Borderlands MMC, and the ATTRACTION between those two just kept me going, I could NOT put it down!

Our main heroine, Tamsyn, is raised to be strong and how could she not be as the royal whipping girl for her “sisters”. I really enjoyed how Sophie Jordan showed how courageous and loving this FMC is, especially when faced with the opportunity to save her royal sisters.

I know Tamsyn didn’t feel this way, but it felt like such a betrayal when she was offered up as a proverbial lamb for slaughter to the supposed “Beast of the Borderlands”. I mean the Queen says she loved her but … yeah you don’t just sacrifice someone you love that way even if Tamsyn was more than happy to do so.

Now our Beast of the Borderlands himself, Fell. 🫠 I just love the tough exterior but really has a good heart inside. I mean he had this whole plan to have a seat at the table with the King by marrying a princess just so he can champion his people and the people of the outer reaches of the realm… 😫 how freaking sweet. Sure, did he get a handful with a whipping girl instead, yes, but like the intentions were there!

The chemistry between these two though is 10/10!! That first scene.. I mean she was wearing a veil and yet I was blushing with the hots they have for each other! I loved how he wanted to take care of his bride and closed the curtains during the ceremony so no one would see her. Like yea! Take charge Fell!!

Not going to spoil anything but the twist! The backstory of both Fell and Tamsyn… oh boy. I can’t wait to hear more about Fell. We see a bit of Tamsyn and learn a bit of her history but I think Fell is going to be the real ringer.. I feel like maybe the previous Beast of the Borderlands/his adopted dad may have killed his mom on that cave… if you know you know.

All that to say, i really enjoyed this book and will definitely be purchasing a physical copy when it is published later this month. If youre like me and you love romance, dragons, magic, medieval-vibes, and some interesting lore, read this book!!

The world building and story for me was a very slow burn and was just not my style of story. The writing is very good but the story as hard for me to get into.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

My kingdom for a great, well-rounded romantasy! The genre, when I first dipped my toes into it, seemed promising. I’ve read quite a sampling now, and very few provide both good romance and good fantasy. A Fire in the Sky feels very much like a student tried to make word count in an essay with filler words. Two characters meet. A marriage is arranged. One of the spouses is duped, and throughout the rest of the story the two, though sexually attracted to one another, develop “deeper” feelings…hardly. Romantasys should develop romance within an intricately developed world, great pacing, and complex inter-relational problems and solutions. That’s not what readers get here; instead, there’s a lot of bloat and the interactions feel forced, stiff, and immature. Readers looking for an easy read with some smut to pass the time will enjoy this one. Just don’t expect much substance.


Primarily, the world building here seems to be simplistic. The focus for this narrative lies on the two main characters and their sexual attraction to one another with casual mentions of creatures and places offering no contextual explanation, well incorporated or otherwise. If a reader has not read the aforementioned Firelight series, a YA trilogy published about 14 years ago, things about the world may be confusing or just not matter. The backstory and world logic therefore seems to be the burden of the reader to find out about, and one can only assume the way to learn more is to read the aforementioned YA series. From 14 years ago.


Let it not be said I lack understanding that Romantasy books should be about the romance first and the workings of the world and magic systems second. With this understanding, I am willing to give lackadaisical world building a slight pass. I know I’m not reading Jordan, Abercrombie, or Clarke—I don’t expect too much sophistication in that regard. However. I do expect fantastic character building and interaction with strong, well written relationship development and romance. A Fire in the Sky does not offer that. The plot meanders, feels bloated with filler, and few things really happen in the story other than the characters moving from one place to another where one bit of action occurs.


For character development, Tamsyn and Fell are a bit flat, and the foundation of their attraction is purely physical lust. Romantasy should have romance. There just wasn’t any here. They bump into one another briefly in passing before they’re forced on one another as bride and groom (though one of them doesn’t know). Then, they spend the next great swath of the narrative not really interacting in meaningful ways. Having read The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman when in elementary school, I am familiar with the concept of substitutionary punishment Jordan uses as a plot device. I’m not sure it’s used for more than a gimmick, though. Tamsyn’s role as a whipping girl only lasts for a brief part of the first couple of chapters, and then she’s carried off into the wilds with Fell. She grows up in a castle with an attractive guard and befriends him, but there’s never a spark of attraction in her for any other person before Fell shows up, and then she suddenly discovers sexual attraction. She’s over 20 years old. In a castle. With a bunch of meat wall guards who also have muscles, just like Fell.


Fell possesses a bit more development, but not much. He’s a generically relatable character—seeking to provide protection for his people and receive more for the protection his people ensure the kingdom in return. For someone tested regularly as a formidable warrior, battle strategist, and leader, he doesn’t seem to have many scruples. Sure, he possesses a gentle empathy for Tamsyn, but it’s treated as a surprise even to him. How he feels and acts toward her yo-yos back and forth, giving readers absolutely no consistency.


Overall, 2.5/5 for the story and 4/5 for narration. I probably should not have picked this one up right after reading Susanna Clarke. I can’t really describe it as anything else but simplistically vapid.


Multiple narrators make keeping up with the character POV’s easy, but the narration is very dramatic and gets loud and soft often. I don’t think a narrator should be monotone, but too many ups and downs in voice can be taxing.


My thanks to HarperAudio via Libro FM and Avon via NetGalley for the ALC and eARC (respectively), for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

My first Sophie Jordan book, and it was a bit of a mixed bag for me.

The writing was fine, the storyline was fine (although there were slow stretches with little or no movement forward), but the characters just didn't grab me. I didn't feel that the two mains were fleshed out enough, especially our hero, Fell (hopefully that will come as the series develops), and I didn't feel as invested in them as I would have liked.

In some ways, this felt like an historical romance with some dragons thrown in for some action. I understand that Jordan has written in that genre, and I saw that background in her more intimate scenes. As far as the romance part of the book went, I felt myself missing the slow grow toward a more devoted relationship between Fell and Tamsyn. There was insta sparks (both good and bad), a surprisingly and seemingly out-of-character first intimate scene (on the part of Tamsyn), back to bad sparks, then some ambivalence and back to intimacy by the cliffhanger conclusion. I actually felt that the dragon aspect of the plot sort of got lost or overshadowed by the back-and-forth relationship arc.

I do plan to continue with the next in series just to hopefully see more character development and see where the cliffhanger leads. Not a bad book at all, just some pet peeves for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing the free early arc of A Fire in the Sky for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I figured it was finally time to jump back into world of romantasy so I went ahead and binged this ARC as fast as my eyes could read! Although this was right up my alley, I feel there was some things that could have been done a bit differently through the story line.

Tamsyn and Fell were definitely fun to read about and I felt that she was really able to open him up despite his reputation. With the challenges she faced early on in life, I had hoped the arranged marriage would work out in all the best ways.

This was a quick read and although some portions were repetitive, the unique story and of course the addition of dragons always grabs my attention. I’m bummed I have to wait for book 2 to continue on in the story but I will impatiently be waiting for more info!

If you’re looking for something with plot twists, a steamy romance, and an ending that’ll have you running to see what the next book is all about, this is it!

Tamsyn, adopted by the king and queen as a baby, is raised as the royal whipping girl. Although she enjoys nearly all the same privileges as the princesses, she is punished for their misbehavior, which constantly reminds her of her lower status. When Fell, the leader of the borderlands, arrives seeking to marry one of the blood princesses, Tamsyn is secretly chosen for the arranged marriage. Fell, unaware that Tamsyn even exists, is deceived into believing he is marrying a true princess.

The plot largely revolves around this deception, but the pacing of the story feels sluggish. The first third of the book focuses on preparations for the wedding and the effort to trick Fell into believing Tamsyn is a legitimate princess. The middle section follows their journey to the borderlands, but it lacks much action or excitement, making it difficult to stay fully engaged. The romance and tension between the characters add some intrigue, but overall, not much happens throughout the story.

Despite the slow build-up, the book takes an interesting turn toward the end. A surprising twist and cliffhanger give the conclusion more energy and tension than the earlier sections, making it more enjoyable than I initially anticipated. The ending and the addition of some romantic "spice" helped lift my overall impression of the book, resulting in a higher rating than I had originally planned.