A Fire in the Sky was an absolute blast to read! I couldn’t put it down and kept guessing until the very end. The story sucked me in from page one, and I just tore through it.

The romance is front and center in this book, but it’s balanced beautifully with the fantasy elements. Sophie Jordan did an incredible job of setting the stage for future books. Based on the ending, I think we are in for an amazing fantasy adventure in the next book. The writing style is simple and easy to read, allowing for a quick read without sacrificing depth or engagement.

Tasmyn is a relatable and well-developed character whose struggles and decisions are portrayed with authenticity and empathy. Her journey is heart-wrenching & painful at times, and Jordan's ability to convey her pain and motivations makes her choices feel justified and understandable.

Sure, there were a few predictable moments, but there were so many twists that I was never totally sure what would happen next. So, in a way, that makes it unpredictable, right?

I'm definitely adding this book to my shelf and impatiently waiting for the sequel. I loved reading this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fantasy book with a good dose of romance.

I loved this book. I was kept guessing until the end. I just devoured it, and was not left wanting anything but more. I thought it was well written, and absolutely loved the plot. I like how there was spice, but not to much for the first book in I'm hoping a good series. I can't wait for the next one, and will definitely need this book for my shelves.

If you like romance, fantasy, and dragons go get this book. It has it all with fighting, slow burn, spice, and a hunky MMC. I also love a FMC who finds herself in a book and this has that.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

I had so much fun reading this! This has everything I love in a fantasy witches, dragons and an arranged marriage.
Tamsyn is known as the whipping girl meaning she is raised with the royal family but treated as a servant. So when one of the princesses fucks up she gets punished. When the lord of the borderlands Fell comes to court demanding a princess as a wife the king arranges Tamsyn to marry him. Fell quickly finds out he was deceived and Tamsyn is not a princess. Tamsyn travels with Fell and the rest of his men back to his home and along the way Tamsyn discovers more to the world than just the castle. She quickly realizes that witches and dragons might be real. She discovers a secret and is scared to tell her husband.

A fire in the sky is fast paced, has action and an intricate world building. Fell is gonna be a fan favorite and the end of the book was not what I expected!!! Really enjoyed this story so much can’t wait to see what happens with the rest of the books

I think I have read nearly everything Sophie Jordan has written EXCEPT her young adult Firelight series (insert eek face here). But I’m in a huge adult romantasy phase right now so I jumped in anyways, though I believe this takes place in the same world (?). And I’m here to tell you that it absolutely stands on it’s own. No need to worry about prerequisite reading.

It’s fast, dramatic, and trope-y, with a lot of fraught history driving the plot into what is looking like a new war. The haves lording over the have-nots, withholding all that was promised after the last major war with dragons. Magic and magical creatures have been pushed to extinction/extermination. But things are clearly changing and what was hiding is ready to burst free.

The story is definitely heavy on the romance, as anticipated. Tamsyn is living a complicated existence and her set-up has dark romance elements. Her emotional journey promises to be deliciously tortured and epic. Fell has a harsh past and present that has shaped him into an unyielding and ruthless leader, brooding for days. Together, their ideals clash and realities start to adjust as they discover more about each other. And when a relationship starts with lies and sex, it’s interesting to see connection and emotional intimacy form in reverse.

I do think it’s too speedy in the second half. I wish it had been longer, with more detail and a bigger build. It’s a fast and entertaining read but it could have been more robust. Still, the last quarter managed to surprise me. There were some good lead-ins and while I could anticipate most, I was also dazzled by a revelation or two.

Overall, I’m hooked. Can’t wait for more.

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager, for the opportunity to read A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan in exchange for my honest review.

A Fire in the Sky focuses on Tamsyn, who is raised in the royal court to bear the brunt of princesses' misdeeds, and suddenly she finds herself marrying Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, to save the princesses. It’s honestly shocking how okay with her life Tamsyn is.

I felt the pacing in the beginning and end worked. I didn’t find my mind wandering, which I appreciated. That said, the middle felt rushed, with missing or underexplained parts.

A major drawback for me was the relationship between Tamsyn and Fell. There is never a real chance for them to connect, making their supposed relationship unconvincing. The big reveal felt obvious from the start and could have been handled better. More time should have been spent on Tamsyn and Fell getting closer before a quick reveal or skipping the relationship initially and developing it after the reveal.

Despite these flaws, A Fire in the Sky presents an interesting blend of fairytale elements and human interactions with mythical beings. The unique growth arc of the protagonist and the intriguing premise make it a worthwhile read.

If you're into dragons, magic, and unexpected romances, "Fire in the Sky" is a must-read! The story centers on Tamsyn, who, though not a true princess, is raised as one and serves as the whipping girl for the royal family. When a fearsome beast demands a princess as his bride, Tamsyn is the one offered up. What unfolds is an enchanting tale of love and resilience, as Tamsyn and the "beast" navigate their unexpected relationship. The romance is heartfelt, and the underlying message that magic can't be destroyed adds a captivating layer to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to see where Tamsyn's journey leads next!

While I was able to predict some of the plot twists regarding the characters themselves within a few pages based on the summary of the book I was still surprised by the overall plot twists! I wish there was more interaction and angst between the two main characters, but the premise of the series and ending of this book has me intrigued enough to keep reading. I did feel the FMC was a bit frustrating at times with her focus solely on duty and then her desire for the MMC, but I’m hoping her character development leads to her own wants/desires versus the role she thinks she has to do.

The pros of the book are an interesting premise, brooding MMC, and a plot that kept me reading!

4.25 / 5

This book absolutely had me in a chokehold from beginning to end. The tropes! The fantasy!

I absolutely enjoyed the fast-paced plot, the two main characters and the well-written romance. The story had me so intrigued I blew through this book within two days and could not put it down.

Surprisingly, my biggest critique was that this book wasn't long enough to flesh out some of the characters and plot. I would have loved getting more build up into certain character's relationships and histories so that pivotal plot points hit just a little bit better.

Overall, this was absolutely delightful and I'll be eagerly awaiting the continuation of this series.

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Sophie Jordan for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I just finished this one up and I was hooked from the beginning.

Since this is the first book in a series be forewarned there is a lot of world building and explanations needed to get things started. The book started off not feeling much like a romanctasy but once Tamsyn leaves the world she knows the fantasy portion really picks up.

I have high hopes for how this series is going to progress and I cannot wait for book 2. I'm obsessed with Tamsyn and Fell.

Thank you for the ARC via NetGalley!

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.

A Fire in the Sky is a historical romantasy. Tamsyn has been raised alongside the three princesses of her kingdom, and the price she pays for her luxurious life is to be the whipping girl and bear the punishment her sisters earned. Then she is married to the barbarian Fell, lord of the northern border. He’s not pleased that she has helped to deceive him into thinking she’s one of the princesses. But on the journey home, they will discover that dragons are not as gone as everyone believes….

Intense in everything, intensely lush, fantastic, romantic, adventurous! I hope this just the beginning and far, far, from the end!

A very quick and enjoyable read. I didn't realize this is a prequel to another series so I had zero knowledge of what I was getting into, other than dragons. The main POVs were good but Stig could've been better fleshed out; I know that the triangle needs to resolve itself and he wasn't going to get the leg up over Fell but it felt sort of forced and weird the way that POV and eventual storyline played out. Honestly he couldn't even be in the book and the story wouldn't suffer. 3.5 stars rounded up.

I flew through this in less than 24 hours! I really enjoyed the storyline, and the plot definitely picks up speed towards the end of the book!

This book includes a classic enemies-to-lovers trope, which I love, and the main characters definitely had good chemistry. I wish we had been able to explore more of their relationship, but this book establishes a good foundation for the future. It also hints at there being something special about their bond, which will likely be explored in future books!

This book was a little predictable at times, but I enjoyed the timing of when certain twists were revealed. I liked having different POVs throughout the book, and of course, I loved the dragons!! (Would've maybe enjoyed a little more detail regarding what the dragons look like..)

Overall, I loved this story, and I will definitely pick up the next book!

Thank you NetGalley, Avon publishing, and Sophie Jordan for this ARC!

A Fire in the Sky Is a romance and a fantasy. Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl raised with the Princesses but whipped for their transgressions. When a border lord demands marriage to a princess the King and Queen deceive him - he marries Tamsyn. On the way to the Borderlands something unexpected happens which changes everything.
Unexpected ending but I loved it. Can’t wait to read more! Great beginning for a new series.

4.75/5
Amazing arranged marriage romance. One of my favorite tropes and did not disappoint. This book is a fantasy romance NOT a romantasy. It focuses on the people and does have a plot but it is NOT like Fourth Wing or things like that. It has great chemistry for the characters, multiple POVs, and does build the world pretty well. I just wish there was more interaction with other characters and more banter with Fell and Tamsyn. It is super easy to follow and for those dragon lover girlies it does not disappoint!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this E-ARC! This is my honest opinion and I loved it!

I ate this up!

The tension between the main characters is everything. They built it up from the moment they meet and sparks fly. I love that they feel such a strong pull towards each other, it gives fated mates right off the bat but neither characters seems to know what it means which is delicious. This was a fast read with a unique storyline, it was a little predictable in places but so fun. I couldn’t put it down. I would give this a 3.5/3.75 but I’m rounding up to 4 because I accidentally whacked my friend a few times when I got excited.

A Fire in the Sky is a fun time, there is forced proximity, marriage of convenience (forced marriage? Arranged marriage? Really all of them), dragon shifters, fated mates (vibes and speculation though they never call each other that), a silly little adventure, and lots of Fell standing around naked.

I do wish was that there was more in the first book. I have a lot of questions about the magic and the dragons and even the world. The story is very focused on the romance and I think that leaves a lot open in the world building/plot. I found myself wanting to know more about the witches and the threshing and how all of that came to be. After reading I feel like I only read half what I was supposed to read, like there needed to be more for the book to feel complete. I think if this story was a little more fleshed out it would have easily been a 5 star read for me. That being said I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and that’s what I value most.

I have hope there will be more answers and details in future books. I will definitely be reading the sequels and I’ve already started recommending this to friends.

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon publishing, and Sophie Jordan for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’m definitely in the minority on this one, but Sophie Jordan’s newest fantasy novel was a complete miss for me. At best, it was predictable and boring; at worst, it was painful, embarrassing, and cringe-worthy.

So we have Tamysn, the royal whipping girl, who is forced to marry Fell, a warrior from the northern part of the kingdom. Fell is tricked into married Tamsyn, who isn’t exactly pleased about the arrangement either, and he takes a while to warm to her. They have lots of repetitive and cringy sex, which is the only real chemistry shown between characters (if you can even call it chemistry) and otherwise Tamsyn is ignored and dismissed by Fell. After something happens on their journey from the palace to The Borg, Fell suddenly realizes how much he loves Tamsyn and goes insane trying to rescue her. Blah blah blah. The whole “she’s mine and no one else can have her” trope, despite Fell’s character literally doing absolutely nothing to show that he has any sort of feelings towards her otherwise. To me, that trope doesn’t work when the MC obviously dislikes the character in question- or at least is indifferent to her as an individual person with thoughts, feelings, and needs. Fell only cared that he was deceived and that she was good at pleasing him sexually; he didn’t care about her as a person, which l made the trope feel out of place and unbelievable.

And the writing style absolutely did not work for me. When there wasn’t direct action happening in a chapter, the rest of it was written like a never ending monologue. I also hated how the different point of views retold the same events with little to no added information or substance.

The entire thing just fell flat for me. The ending felt forced and cringy, and I was honestly more pleased by the fact it was over than by the final scenes themselves.


Thank you NetGalley and Avon publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This one was good. This one has a great story IMO. I enjoyed the characters, the story, the world, the ending. Everything!!

This is an attention grabbing fantasy romance. The romance in this book starts out reluctant due To some deceiving actions with a instant connection. The book is spicy while there isnt a ton of spicy scenes, one does happen fairly quickly in the beginning of the book. The scenes are detailed to a spice lovers enjoyment. I he book does move at a steady to quicker pace as it follows Tamsyn as she is set on a course to marry the brutal boarder land leader Fell. Along their journey to his lands things will take a drastic turn leaving Tamsyn in more danger than she ever was before. Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl who has been treated other than her requirements with love and respect.
Fell is known for his brutality. and doing what he has to do to get what he wants. The kingdom has hunted dragons to extinction, or have they? This book will have you flipping pages to find out what is going to happen next!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This had a lot of elements that I love in fantasy novels like arranged marriage, and the history in the world of their kind of dragons and witches. I wish there was more though. I feel like some things could have been broadened and I would have felt more for what was happening in the plot and for the characters. I didn’t expect what was going to happen in the end.

A Fire in the Sky, by Sophie Jordan, is a spin on Dragons that I really liked, but couldn’t love, no matter how much I wanted to, I loved the premise, with its whipping girl heroine, but something just felt…incomplete, down to its abrupt ending. I did love the setting and world-building, the glimpses at the heroines “birth parents” left me titillated for more, but it just didn’t quite get me there.
3/5 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.