It was an enjoyable book! I found the world-building and mythology surrounding the dragons to be very intriguing. There was a mystical atmosphere throughout the whole story that made it very easy and engrossing to read.

The romance was nice. I wish there was more romantic connection and build-up between the two leads, as I felt like the development of the romance didn’t feel very believable. However, I did like both leads, and I enjoyed reading their point of views and getting to know their motivations, backstories, feelings, etc. I did think that while the romance was lacking, the moments when they had chemistry and sexual tension were really well-written and left me swooning.

I’m excited to read the second book after the way things ended in this book. I definitely feel like there’s so much potential for the sequel to be even better, and I hope that it’ll explore the world of dragons with more layers, depth, and nuance. I’m certainly intrigued thus far and would recommend to any romantasy fans!

All the yes! I finally got around to reading one of my most anticipated reads and it did not disappoint at all. It kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the page and not wanting to put it down. I loved everything about it from start to finish and just wish I could read it again for the first time.

A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan. Dragons, Romantasy, Easy Read.

I rated this 3 stars.

Tamsyn is adopted by the royals after being left for them as a baby. Tamsyn was the Whipping Girl, she took the punishments for her “sisters” when they did something wrong. She is then placed in arranged marriage with Fell, the Border King. The ending is a cliffhanger.

Was the book good, sure was it great ehh no. I found it very predictable, choppy and repetitive. It was an easy enough read that I wasn’t annoyed with it or felt like I needed to DNF it. But I don’t think I will pick it up again or think back on it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random Avon and Harper Voyage for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Tamsyn has been raised alongside the princesses, punished for their transgressions. Her best friend, Stig, captain of the guard, wishes for more between them, but Tamsyn must do her duty one last time, and marry Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, in place of one of the princesses. After they have wedded and the deception’s revealed, Fell plots his revenge. But as they travel north, the arrival of a dragon changes everything…

This multi-POV romantasy hooked me from the start and I eagerly turned pages.

Tamsyn was strong and relatable, vulnerable and real. Fell’s reputation masked a complex character capable of brutality and beautiful tenderness.

Tamsyn and Fell’s connection was intense and believable. The tension from their false beginning turned into a delicious slow-burn. I loved watching both characters grow and change.

The world-building was solid but also left things open to explore in future books. I can’t wait to return to this world.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

4.5 ⭐️


Tamsyn was raised alongside the princesses as the royal whipping girl. She feels a sense of obligation to put them first and protect them in all things. Because of this she does not protest when ordered to marry Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, in place of the princesses. Tamsyn questions her attraction to Fell, who feels slighted, and is determined to show her strength on the journey home to the north. Chaos and adventure ensues.

A Fire in The Sky was a quick and easy read. While the amount of spicy scenes makes it a definite adult romantasy, the writing does feel more young adult. Tamsyn’s naiveté was frustrating at times, but I did enjoy her overall. I also enjoyed Fell as a MMC. This book definitely felt like a stage setter. Some of the twists were easily guessable. Overall it was just a fun time which is what I look for in my romantasys! I look forward to book two where hopefully more action takes place.


Thank you NetGalley and Avon for an advanced copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the gifted ARC!!
This was SO good…like I literally could not put it down and finished it in two sittings. This was such a unique story and I’m officially dying for book 2. Is this my new favorite dragon book?? This was such a good balance between plot and romance.
The romance was everything. I love an arranged marriage and the tension?? Yes please. And the way Fell chose Tamsyn over everything…my heart.
The world building in this was really easy to digest, and I’m so interested in the world and can’t wait to see how it expands in future books.

I loved this book. I think it was so unique. I can’t wait for the next book. The cliff hanger is really infuriating.

I was totally intrigued by A Fire in the Sky, and I highly anticipated this book.

I saw another reviewer say this book isn't bad, but it isn't necessarily good either, and I agree.

There were so many repetitious thoughts for both main characters, and it got a bit tedious. They had minimal interactions and it made their connection not as believable as it could have been.

I also wish the world-building was a little clearer and more developed, and I would have loved a map.

The depiction of the dragons threw me, too. They sounded too humanoid for my tastes, and trying to imagine what they looked like was distracting.

That being said, I enjoyed the cliffhanger, and I could probably be convinced to read the sequel to see where this story goes.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

A Fire in the Sky offers an engaging blend of forced marriage and hidden identity themes within a fantastical setting. Though shorter than many Romantasy novels, it packs a punch with its imaginative elements, including dragons, witches, and a particularly eerie Huldra. Tamsyn stands out as a fierce and empowering female lead, while Fell, despite his reputation as the Beast of the Borderlands, reveals a surprisingly wholesome and affectionate side. The ending is both gripping and tantalizing, leaving me eagerly anticipating the next installment (I hope there’s a next one!)

Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Sophie Jordan for the e-ARC!

I was so excited to read this book when I read the description. A book about a forced marriage, dragons, multiple POV's, and hidden magic, count me in! This is also my first Sophie Jordan book.

Tamsyn is our FMC who is the royal whipping girl, someone who receives the lashings when the heirs misbehave/get in trouble. While she is seen as a "sister" and "daughter" to the royal family, others are not so fond of her, so when the the Beast of the Borderlands, Fell, comes and demands a princess as his wife, Tamsyn is offered as a "princess" to Fell. Even though their marriage started off with lies and deception, Tamsyn and Fell are drawn to one another as they journey back to the Borderlands.

We get three point of views, Tamsyn, Fell and Stig, Tamsyn's friend and captain of the royal guard. He is predictable and definitely makes some questionable choices. There is some repetition when it comes to changing POV's, but it didn't bother me. As the story continued, I was eager to learn more about Tamsyn and what was to come of her, but also just as interested in Fell and hearing his thoughts, learning of his lands and people and role he plays. I didn't really have a care for Stig's and his chapters were pretty short.

I liked this book and can definitely see where it could go based off the ending. There is a small amount of world building for a fantasy book, but I liked that it was simple to follow for Book 1.. I suspect there will be more to unravel in Book 2, especially with how the last...15% of the book went. Which, speaking of the ending, it was also a little predictable early on in the book, however, I enjoyed the adventure. The plot is fun and easy to follow, it was not as slow burn as I thought it would be, but I have a suspicion that I'll leave out due to spoilers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Sophie Jordan, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! Start to finish I was obsessed. Anything with dragons is a must for me and this one was no exemption. I highly recommend if you love fantasy.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was a fun little stand-alone, and I really enjoyed reading it. A Fire in The Sky had the perfect blend of forced marriage tropes, dragons and action, and a great adventure. It felt unique amongst the sea of new dragon books, and I actually really liked the fact that it was as a standalone! 3.75 stars.

This book was utterly fantastic! I loved the unique multi-first person writing style. It was refreshing and relatable.

That ending was just incredible, even with the foundational set up throughout the story. Their relationship progression was so beautiful. The world building was interesting. I felt like the beginning kind of hit the ground running, and then there was a cozier journey with a small army before it all picked back up for the ending. I loved that it wasn't *bam! And now they're in love!* But that the story laid out pretty good groundwork for their relationship.

Tropes:
Arranged marriage of convenience
Unique writing style
Multi-first person PoVs
Somewhat enemies to lovers
Well researched medieval royal life

Content: strong language, innuendos, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, manipulation, royal whipping girl/boy, explicit s*x, many witnesses to the marriage bed after arranged marriage, n*dity

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC!

This book had so many of my favorite romantasy tropes, and ended on a cliffhanger. I do think the story had a faster pace, and usually care for my fantasy books to have more world building; but I still very much enjoyed the contents of this book and will read the next one!

Not your average dragon book. This was such a great start to the series!

Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl, which means she takes the beatings for the Princesses when they get in trouble. It makes her such a strong and resilient FMC! Then Fell comes along and while she is sort of forced into the marriage, she also does it in order to protect her "sisters".

They immediately have some sort of bond and their feelings grow swiftly, even though they fight it hard.

Then everything with the dragon happens and the plot thickens so much.

We get Stig coming to the rescue, except I felt like we were witnessing his villain origin story. He was so convinced she needed rescuing and protecting and wouldn't listen to her.

Tamsyn and Fell's relationship finally changes and we have a lot more revelations in the end. Very much looking forward to book 2!

Also, this is set in the same world as the Firelight trilogy, which is YA, while this one has explicit scenes and is very much Adult. Same world, but think of it more as an origin story (Author's words). You do not have to have read the Firelight trilogy to understand this one. I did years ago and really enjoyed them and now I really want to go back and reread them just to see if there are any easter eggs or what is similar about the worlds.

Read if you love:
-Dragons
-Hidden powers
-Multi POV
-Friends to enemies
-Forced marriage

I received an eARC from Netgalley. My thoughts are entirely my own.
Finished date: 9/8/24, Release date: 9/24/24

I will say that this did have my attention from the beginning. Overall by the end of the book— I was shocked— especially with that ending; I really didn’t see that coming!

Overall, I felt like the story could have moved along a lot faster, but it was an easy read. This book really didn’t get jumpstarted to me until about the halfway point. However, I do think that this will be the start of a pretty interesting series.

Book 2 will be set up nicely!

I really wish it picked up a little more throughout the book and not just towards the end. Ultimately the ending saved this book for me.

I want to thank NetGalley, Sophie Jordan, and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, and while the world building was simple, I felt invested in Tamsyn's story as we experienced her life as the royal whipping girl, as well as how she handled going into a situation she didn't ask for.

Fell, the Lord of the Borderlands, gives off "touch her and die" type attitude, which is one of my favorite MMC attributes. Fell too, is navigating a situation that isn't exactly what he negotiated for.

This was a fast read, and while it wasn't groundbreaking, it did include magic, witches, and dragons. The book ends with a cliffhanger and I want to know what happens next to Tamsyn and Fell.

What would you do if you found yourself forced into an arranged marriage only because your association with your “adoptive family” after being found orphaned in a basket and raised with three princesses who are like “sisters” and serves as their whipping girl whenever they misbehave. Tamsyn is just that, our FMC who has been promised as a “princess bride” to Fell, King of the Borderlands our MMC better known as The Beast. The wedding is nothing short of awkward including a public bedding ceremony to legitimize the marriage and Tamsyn being hidden by a veil the entire process. The story continues to unfold as Fell discovers he was deceived and that he was promised a princess. Fell eventually decides to give their marriage ago while on their journey back to the Borderlands.

The pairing of Tamsyn and Fell to an extent felt like destiny and the connection between them is unmatched. As their similarities were hard to pass up. Both were found orphaned as babies and raised into royalty. Both should hold markings from battles and whippings they’ve endured but their skin remains unmarked. The tension between them is well done!

I thought I had the story and twist figured out, but I was a fool. This was a cute romantasy and I look forward to reading the next story to see how Tamsyn and Fell’s story continues to develop. If you love magic, dragons, witches, tension, and enemies to lovers this story is for you!

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Jordan, and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of A Fire in the Sky in exchange for my honest review.

Entering a new fantasy novel can often be a gamble—there’s always a mix of anticipation and skepticism about whether it will resonate or fall flat. Happily, A Fire in the Sky proved to be a delightful surprise. From the very beginning, I found myself drawn into Tamsyn’s story, eager to unravel the mysteries and see where her journey would lead.

While the book presents minimal world-building, it offers just enough to immerse readers in its unique setting. I did find myself wishing for a bit more depth in this regard, but I later discovered that A Fire in the Sky is a standalone novel related to a previous series. Had I read those earlier books, I’m sure I would have had a more comprehensive understanding of the world. Nonetheless, the intriguing hints and glimpses into the world were sufficient to keep me engaged.

One of the standout aspects of the novel was the steamy scenes—let’s just say they definitely lived up to their reputation! I particularly enjoyed the foreshadowing surrounding the blood sharing, which added a tantalizing layer of complexity to the plot.

Tamsyn’s character development throughout the book was a highlight. Despite being burdened by a deep secret, her evolution was both compelling and satisfying. And, I must admit, Fell swiftly won my heart and secured his place in the coveted book boyfriend category—he passed all my tests with flying colors!

Overall, A Fire in the Sky was an enjoyable and captivating read. I’ll be enthusiastically recommending it to my fantasy-loving friends and sharing my thoughts on Instagram. If you’re a fan of fantasy with a touch of romance and intrigue, this book is definitely worth picking up!

I have yet to read any of Sophie’s other books, but they’re definitely on my tbr now. I could see this series being a 5 star read for a lot of people. It was fast paced, had a good plot, some spice and was written well. Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl, raised in opulence and what she thinks is affection. She considers the princesses her sisters and gladly takes the punishments for them. Shoved into an impossible situation, with no escape even if she wanted to, she thinks of it as another way to protect the innocence of her beloved siblings. Weeks on the road, a broody and cruel lord shadowing her every step and his warriors all but attempting to outright kill her, she quickly learns how expendable she really is. Fell brings the roughness of the northern country to the palace with him knowing he won’t be denied his request. Scoffing at the pampered and delicate citizens and court, he makes his demands for a royal bride. How can they refuse when it’s him that protects them from all their fears? But Fell underestimates their cunning liars tongues and is saddled with more than he bargained for. A Fire in the Sky is imaginative and addictive. You won’t want to put it down!