3.5 stars

A Fire in the Sky is a magical dragon filled story about a girl named Tamsyn who serves as the whipping girl for the royal family, until the Beast of the Borderlands comes demanding to marry one of the princesses. The king decides to trick him by marrying him to Tamsyn and drama ensues.

Tamsyn is a little difficult to sympathize with for a lot of the book, but we do see glimpses of character growth and I’m sure we’ll see more as the series goes on. Although the romantic interactions were few, I enjoyed the dynamic between Tamsyn and Fell and the pull they felt toward each other.

I did not see the first big twist coming at all which was great. I thought the other twist became a little obvious after that but it was still enjoyable. I think this book could have used a few more likable characters considering there were hardly any. Overall this was an easy gripping read and I may be interested in continuing the series.

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I don’t even know what to say about this one —

I like dragons, I like witchcraft, I like magical worlds - so that was some of what appealed to me about this novel. I appreciated the unexpected twists that popped up and kept me interested, and the ending certainly surprised me.

There was a lot about this book that got me fired up, and that’s not necessarily a negative thing - I think the author wanted to evoke emotions in the reader. Our FMC Tasmyn is the royal whipping girl, meaning she takes the beatings on behalf of the princesses who are untouched and unpunished. I felt as though Tasmyn doesn’t get a lot of respect from anyone in this book and falls victim to learned helplessness. I think we see glimpses of how her character can develop into a stronger woman who is more sure of herself, but as it stands she’s seen as weak and powerless for most of the book… succumbing to the fate that others lay out for her without really fighting back except for a few instances.

I suppose this book is considered romantasy, there’s a love triangle and an arranged marriage that leads to more. Our MMC Fell becomes more likable as the book goes on and I think he definitely has the potential to be a powerful protector that helps Tasmyn see her worth.

I am not sure if I will continue with this series - but I am grateful to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this ARC. I suppose I would recommend this one to dragon and fantasy lovers so that they can form their own opinion - I certainly think there is an audience who would love this book.

A Fire in the Sky was just okay for me. It’s didn’t knock my socks off with any big plot twists or stunning writing, but I do think a lot of romantasy readers will enjoy it. I can see this being really popular on TikTok/BookTok. There is some spice, around a 2.5-3/5.

I didn’t realize until the end that this was a prequel to Jordan’s YA series Firelight. I did read those books, but it’s been ages, so I didn’t make the connection.

I would definitely recommend this book for readers of Fourth Wing and SJM. It perfectly embodies the newer romantasy genre. Overall, for me personally, it gets a 3.5/5. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I devoured this book! I absolutely loved Tamsyn. She has been raised to be the whipping girl for the children of the royal family - a princess in name only who bears the brunt of all the punishments. She is a fascinating character- strong yet her sense of self is fundamentally enmeshed in how she can serve others. She expects to sacrifice and suffer to help those around her. I really loved the first half of the book. The second half moved very quickly and I think I would have liked to spend more time in the world instead of the plot moving so so quickly. Overall I cannot wait for the next book!

A Fire in the Sky was everything I could want from a romantasy book. This had great writing and an atmospheric world that reminded me of the show Reign. I loved the fantasy aspect and the dragons. It was subtle because this is a world where magic is almost gone and the dragons are extinct, but once the story got to the fantasy, it really took off. This had a unique spin on dragon fantasy books with dragon shifters and a perfect ending that I loved but don’t want to spoil. The romance was the highlight of this book and it still has me reeling every time I think about it. I was giddy over the main characters the second they met and the instant attraction was undeniable. The spice was just perfect and I don’t say that often. This was definitely one of my favorite books of the year and I am very excited to read more from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. Holy fuck man. This book was amazing and that ending is just leaving me wanting more. I loved the world building and the way I am just sucked into this world. I didn't put this down until I had finished it. I love Tamsyn and Fell. I love the dragons and need to know more. Stig can just go fall off a cliff. My hats off to the author, this is a fantastic book. I will be recommending this to all of my reader friends. I hope it's not a long wait for the next book.

Thank you to NetGallery, Avon, and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was captivated from start to finish in this world where dragons are said to be extinct and witches have been hunted to eliminate all magic. Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl and is forced to marry Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, to keep the peace with the warriors who offer protection for the home she has always known. This was a fun quick read with easy worldbuilding. The development of the plot had me not wanting to put this one down. I was able to predict a lot of what was going to happen but it in no way took away from my enjoyment.

The romance had me eating up every interaction between Tamsyn and Fell as those walls started slowly coming down. Fell is the possessive, brutal warrior and Tamsyn is the ordinary girl who starts to learn how extraordinary she really is. We get some of my fav micro-tropes: eyes on me, he falls first, and wound care. We also have a love triangle but it just added to Fell’s possessiveness so I did not mind one bit.

I loved the different take on dragons, the multi-POV, and the breakdown of the book into the five parts (the wedding was definitely my favorite). The ending has me excited for the next book to come as I need to know what will happen next! Overall, 4.25 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me a chance to read this ARC and review it.

This romantasy book has a lot of tropes that I love reading about!
- enemies to lovers
- arranged marriage
- touch her and 💀
- dragons
- strong willed FMC
- a little spice

Even with so many of my favorite tropes, the writing was just so-so and felt repetitive. It was hard to stay invested in the story and towards the end I was just ready for it to be over.

This was my first novel by Sophie Jordan and I enjoyed it. A Fire in the Sky is a fantasy book with romance and not a romantasy. There are a couple of steamy scenes between the FMC & MMC but if you are looking for lots of high spice this isn't the book for you. Tamsyn & Fell aren't revolutionary characters but they make a solid enemies to lovers couple. The surrounding cast of characters don't stand out as extraordinary but they make decent foils moving the plot along. I would have liked more of Fell showing his protective side toward Tamsyn rather than all of the internal monologue that happens. The "touch her and die" isn't as strong in some places as it could be. I did see the twist coming but I didn't see all of it so that was a nice surprise. This definitely leaves room for a sequel and I would happily read it to see what becomes of Tamsyn & Fell.

Overall I'd rate it 3.5 stars.

This was fine. It's very much an insta-lust romantasy with either Viking or Scottish barbarian types. The twist was more weird than interesting. Still, it was fun and light and I needed that.

3.5/5 stars.

Tamsyn, the royal whipping girl, seemingly on the cusp of earning her freedom is suddenly forced to marry the King of the Borderlands, Fell. As they set out for their new life together, loyalties are tested, strength found and secrets abound.

A Fire in the Sky interested me with the plot, and having read other books by Sophie Jordan, I was super excited to see this world. Overall, I liked the characters and the story, but the pace seemed a bit off. I felt like I was reading the internal thoughts of the characters more than I was what was happening to them, which seemed to slow the story quite a bit. I feel like with the setup of the story, there could’ve been more action for the characters. I am invested in the characters and want to continue to follow their story!

I really want to give this five stars. I was able to get completely lost in this world and found the main characters reactions and tenacity very relatable. One thing in the writing that started to get on my nerves and brought me out if the story was a penchant to repeat words. It was like the author couldnt think of a better way to describe something so she would just repeat herself. For example if she was talking about the character wanting hope she would say “hope hope hope.” It happened several times and not with only one character. I hope the editors remove this before publishing. Other than that one quirk in the writing I loved the build up of the love story. I loved the intrigue of all the plot twists and love triangle. There were some incredible quotes that resonated with me. “ There were some walks you must go alone in life.” and “ My grim fate yawned ahead, posts in a fence, one after another, days falling in succession, in sameness, in tedium.” Overall, I truly enjoyed this story.

Thanks to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC. In a world where the dragons were all killed and the witches were hunted after that lived a girl who was the whipping girl for three princesses. Tamsyn was found as a baby and raised with the princesses but it was her duty to take the punishment for her sisters the princesses. She was happy to take that duty and protect her sisters. The Border King or The Beast comes and wants something for protecting their kingdom for so long. He wants to marry one of princesses. He is looked on as a Barbarian and the King and Queen need his continued help so they look to trick The Beast and give him Tamsyn instead. A story I couldn’t put down. Are the dragons really gone? Will Tamsyn protect her sisters again and serve in their place? Will she fall for The Beast? A story that pulled me in and desperately waiting for the next one!

this book has got so many of the things i love.....arranged marriage, touch her and die vibes, brute of a man, and a woman who’s more than she seems.....oh and not to forget about DRAGONS

tbh imo the writing isnt fantastic, some parts have a fair amount of repetition...but the entertainment value is there and the pacing is on point which had me reading this in one sitting and staying up far too later on a work night HA.
the spice was certainly spicin and the plot while predictable was entertaining.

Despite the personal issues that I had with this story, I did enjoy it. I liked it. And yes, I would read the next book. But I didn’t love it.

The book was very predictable down to every single aspect of the plot. So I wouldn’t call this thrilling or a nailbiting page turner.

We have an adopted “princess “who’s not really a real princess and she’s known as the whipping girl. Every time her sisters is getting in trouble. She’s the one that ends up getting the physical punishment.
When The Border King wants to claim a daughter for his own as a wife, the King and Queen sacrifice the whipping girl, their daughter, Tasmyn.

But Tasmyn is not a normal girl. Of course she’s not. And it’s very obvious from the very beginning what she is and who she is.
The internal dialogue is painfully repetitive. And I noticed that that’s a main issue for a lot of people reading early reviews as well. This book is repetitive as hell.
The book is also quite choppy. So there’s not a lot of description in certain scenes and they end abruptly. Chapters don’t flow easily from one to the next.
It’s a fast paced storyline. Some stuff happens, but also not really.
It’s strangely entertaining enough that I would read the next book, but I did end up canceling my pre-order for the hardcover because it’s just not a book that I loved enough to have on my shelf to be honest.

This is a very light fantasy novel. Very awkward sex scenes so a little bit of spice. Very little politics.
It’s the cliffhanger that got me with willing to try out the next book

Dragons no longer fly over Penterra but inside the palace life is still perilous. Tamsyn was raised in the courts alongside the princesses and it is her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. She fits in nowhere and only has the Captain of the Guard, Stig as a friend. To save the princess she is commanded to wear a veil and marry a brutal warrior and she must leave her entire life behind. The wedding night starts with passion but ends near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather then start a war she is accepted as Fell's bride but can he accept all of her dark secrets. Magic is not dead only sleeping.

I really enjoyed this book, it had me hooked from the very beginning, It was fast paced but slowed down a bit after the wedding. The FMS was strong and the MMC was obsessed with her from the beginning. They had good chemistry. I love anything having to do with dragons and this book definitely delivered.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley with the request of an honest review…this is my review.
I have read other books from Sophie Jordan but not in this genre, and I can say I was not disappointed! The writing style took me a few chapters to get used to as each chapter is told by one character at a time. I was fully invested in each and every page as the story progressed, a story of a whipping girl who is so much more than she thought she could be. Tamsyn did everything she could as a whipping girl for the royal family, without complaints. One day, Fell (a warrior) came and demanded a princess for payment of protecting their land. The princess he got was not what he had asked for. Will Tamsyn and Fell work out their differences? Will they fully understand one another? You MUST read this book to find out. Hold onto your seat, because you are in for a wild ride!

Format: Ebook
Genre: Romantasy
Spice: 🌶️🌶️💫

Thank you to Netgalley for the Arc. I wanted to read it because of the concept it had. I love a book about Dragons and it seemed to meshed a few different world of them, witches, courts, and warriors.

While I loved the idea of the book, I wasn’t a fan of the execution. Was it an easy and enjoyable read? Yes. But the book felt very surface level in concept and connection. I didn’t feel as though the story was clear and where things were going. The relationship between Fell and Tas was not following. Also, with Stig? He was not my favorite.

Unfortunately, I was not a huge fan of this book. I had to force myself to finish it. The premise sounded intriguing - a royal whipping girl who is tasked with marrying the Beast of the Borderlands in order to spare her more fragile sisters. The pacing was inconsistent, with a large portion of the book just dragging and then a really rushed ending. I felt like the lore was not fully flushed out and didn't necessarily make sense. Tamsyn as a heroine was frustratingly obtuse at times. The relationship between her and Fell felt empty and lacked connection. There was way too much internal monologue and repetitive descriptions - it was a huge part of the pacing problems. This is a start to a series and I'm not sure I'll be continuing the journey.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC - all opinions are my own!

2.5⭐️
First time reading from this author. I fell asleep several times while reading it. The inner monologue was daunting and repetitive. So many inconsistencies throughout. Pacing was off. This is a shifter book. No character developments. I didn’t feel good chemistry between the FMC and MMC. Felt very YA with adult spicy scenes, the FMC seemed immature and had a hard time connecting. Little twist towards the end but ya knew something was up with the MMC, but the ending delivered.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for the eARC