When Tamsyn is married off to the leader of the Borderlands she is finally free from her dual roles as adopted princess and whipping girl.
Called the “Beast of the Borderlands” by outsiders, Fell seeks to secure the autonomy of his lands by marrying a princess of the kingdom.
Neither of them could have predicted the larger story that they find themselves part of.

Never a dull moment in this fast paced Romantasy of princesses, rogues, witches, and dragons. Sophie Jordan brings life and emotion to the story without showing all of her cards at once. Book two cannot come soon enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I've been looking for a fantastic new series involving dragons to come out and I hadn't found one that I loved... until this one. This gave Throne of Glass meets Fourth Wing vibes in the best way. Tamsyn, the princess, has to accept a marriage of convenience to save her kingdom... and rediscover who she is in the process. It reminded me so much of "old timey" fantasy/romantasy which is exactly what I've been looking for. It felt "magic" and I felt like I was in this story, and I didn't want to leave. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

I never read Sophie Jordan's Firelight series so I requested and read this with zero expectations. I was curious because romantasy is the rage at the moment and I'm always looking to expand my library's collection and meet the voracious need.

I expected A Fire in the Sky to be typical of the genre -- dark and gritty with complicated world building and a steamy relationship. The novel did not deliver on a number of levels. Our main character Tamsyn is mistreated by just about everyone. She is stoic to the point of death. There was little chemistry between the main characters and the story lacked depth and detail. I wanted a greater understanding of this world and the people in it but everything felt a bit two-dimensional.

This was just an OK read for me and somewhat unsettling. Despite the cliff hanger ending, I'm not sure I would read a sequel to see what happens next. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for an advanced readers copy of this novel

Book:A Fire in the Sky
Author: Sophie Jordan
Publisher: Avon
Length: 336 Pages
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Blog Rating: 5 Stars

Tamsyn is an orphan who was raised in the royal court as the whipping girl, which is an honorable place with the royal family. She must take the punishments for the three princesses' bad behavior no matter how slight. Where Tamsyn has done nothing but has to be whipped for their bad behavior. As no one is allowed to touch the skin of the royal princesses. However they call her a princess and sister to the three royal princesses, she even has a royal seat next to them in the throne room. It is an honor and her duty to be a whipping girl, even though she is not a legitimate royal heir. Tamsyn was told by her only friend Stig that she won’t be a whipping girl forever and one day she will be able to make her own decisions about her life. Stig is the Captain of the guard, the son of the Lord Regent whose father despises her! It is obvious Stig has romantic feelings for Tamsyn.

Luckily Tamsyn heals very fast and has no scars from her severe beatings. It always seemed odd to her, especially the lashings that were so severe she had to see a healer. She never told anyone for fear they might think her a witch as they killed witches and dragons long ago as neither species no longer exist…or so they believe. Tamsyn’s life changes when Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, comes to claim a royal princess as his bride. It was for a political alliance as the people of the borderlands were suffering miserably. As King Hamlin needed to keep the Beast of the Borderlands happy so he would keep fighting his wars for him with his warriors.

Tamsyn’s adopted father but only seems to care for his royal subjects. Yet the Borderlands were his people too yet he did nothing to protect and care for them. However he needed the Beast of the Borderlands and his warriors. They were trained soldiers and Fell was their King and leader. She soon learns of this Beast’s intention that he wants to wed one of her sisters and is shocked when she learns her adopted parents the King and Queen of Penterra are going to trick him and give their whipping girl as his bride. Tamsyn knew she was the one who was going to pay for their deceit especially after she is covered from head to toe in the public bedding. She knew Fell would feel publicly deceived.

What surprises her is that there is an attraction between the two that can't be denied. However, will it be enough?
Something in Tamsyn soon changes but it is something she does not understand, just as Fell doesn't understand his feelings for Tamsyn. Someone he should hate even though he understands she was only following orders afterall she was their Royal whipping girl. Do Fell and Tamsyn have a future even though it started with deception and lies? Furthermore there is another secret for both of them waiting in the wings. Read and discover their fate.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. I have been reading Sophie Jordan historical romance books for twenty years. Recently I started reading fantasy and was delighted to discover her book which is absolutely extraordinary! It does have some historical elements in this magical world as you can tell by their only form of transportation is horses and carriages, also the clothing descriptions was a big indicator too and the servants too. So I think even Ms. Jordan’s historical readers will enjoy this fun fantasy. I was drawn into this story immediately right from the start. It has everything fantasy readers love with a magical world building, magnificent characters, and so many different plot twists that were truly phenomenal, also the dialogue was also absolutely exhilarating! As in most fantasies it ended in a cliff hanger. I can't wait for the next in this brilliant series! I just loved this book so much and highly recommend it. A book fantasy readers don't want to miss!

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader’s copy from Avon Publishing. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair review and blog through netgalley. All thoughts, ideas and words are my own.

I think this release is timed well for the dragon craze we're seeing since Fourth Wing came out.

While this isn't the best written book, I know it will be massively appealing to my fantasy romance customers who are looking for something easily digestible, compulsively readable, and set in a medieval fantasy world.

This story has the benefit of original plot elements that set itself apart from others in the genre, and our two main characters have a lot of chemistry.

I do feel that the pacing was inconsistent. The ending in particular felt rushed and lacked the impact I was looking for. I wish that the characters would have communicated more. I just think the book could have been fleshed out substantially and better polished.

I will still be interested in reading the sequel because I think there is a lot of potential in the setup.

Not gonna lie, when I heard this was a quasi-prequel to Sophie Jordan's YA Firelight series, I was a little hesitant -- I hate-read my way through that series so hard, purely because I was buddy-reading with a friend. But dragons are having a moment right now, I wanted some palette-cleansing romantasy after months of reading heavier stuff, and I got sent a free copy, so who was I to say no?

I'm actually really glad that I got past my many-years dislike of Firelight to give A Fire in the Sky a shot. Besides being set in the same world--Penterra--and featuring dragon shifters, the connection between the two series stops there. So if you've never read Firelight, don't let that dissuade you from picking up A Fire in the Sky; it's not ONE BIT like the "standalone" issue many readers (myself included) had with Lexi Ryan's new duology.

That being said, I don't think A Fire in the Sky is a great book. It's not a bad book either. It's fun, light, palette-cleansing, ultimately a bit forgettable. Something to pick up on a lunch break at work, take your mind off things for a second, and then get back to the daily grind. The writing is fine, if a bit repetitive. The characters are fine. The plot's absolutely bonkers, but doesn't have much momentum until the second half (think Ice Planet Barbarians, but instead of good spice, we get 3 horrendously unsexy scenes).

I didn't fall head over heels for our main man, Fell, like I wanted to in a good romantasy; he's just kinda there? Standard Issue Barbarian Love Interest, if you will. And Tamsyn, our leading lady, doesn't really do much either? And there's a love triangle, and it's...not great? Mainly because the final point in our triangle, Stig, Tamsyn's childhood best friend, is truly out here giving nothing. The man kissed her twice, Tamsyn said she felt nothing, and then he fights Fell every time they're on the page together. I wasn't a Twilight girlie, but even Edward and Jacob gave us more.

But something kept me turning the pages. Something kept me captivated and not mad at this book. Maybe it's because I went in with low expectations, but I didn't hate it. Actually, I'm eagerly anticipating Book 2? I know. We're all shocked. If you're going in expecting Fourth Wing or incredible romance, spice, worldbuilding, etc, you're not gonna find it. But if you go in expecting a popcorn read--something light, fluffy, and easy--I think you won't be disappointed. And also, those blue sprayed edges are gonna look so stunning in person.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Voyager, and Sophie Jordan for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I seriously could not put this book down. It was so good. That feeling you get when you have found a new Dragon series. Sadly, there is no known date for the next book, but I cannot wait! I got the audiobook to read along with the ARC from Netgalley. I enjoyed the narrators quite a bit. Tamsyn is such a fun character, so brave. Sophie Jordan is familiar with steamy scenes and provided as good as it gets.

Personal rating (4/5)

I really enjoyed the story and it pulled me in from the beginning. I hoovered it up in one weekend. If you are the kind of person who doesn't like predictability this one probably isn't going to be your favorite book. That being said I think the characters Tamsyn and Fell were well-written and acted true to their character. Tamsyn was severely abused, of course, she wasn't going to put up a fight about basically lying to Fell in the marriage arrangement. Fell is a warlord so yes he is going to take advantage of his power and try to secure more. Even though there is spice in this first book, I don't think the romance will fizzle out. There is still tension and the characters still have a lot of getting to know each other left. All in all, I am excited for the second book!

Genre: Romantasy
Length: 336
Vibe: Fairytale, lost princess,
Tropes: Arranged marriage, Rebirth of extinct race ( dragons), medium burn, perceived bad guy to lover

Dragons and adult romantasy?? Say less!

Read this one if you're looking for enemies to lovers in an arranged marriage, dragons and magic.
The middle was a little slower, but it's light and mostly easy reading if you're ok with some world building. All in all fun escapism read!

I had hoped for a little more with this book, to be honest. There was a lot that I thought would go one way, but then it didn’t. The romance felt weird and rushed to me and I know this is to be a multibook series so I had hoped it would be a slow burn, but then it wasn’t that I finished the book wondering what the other books would be about, but I can’t say in a good way. More of, what else could be happening to make this longer than one book? On the fence about this one if I’ll be reading the next book or not.

This book was fun! It had a slow start but it did start to pick up and get more exciting. The FMC was incredibly annoying at first and I almost DNFed but she got better. I always love a good enemies to lovers and a true slow burn and this book did not disappoint in those ways plus the dragons were great.

This book was so good. Fell and Tamsyn are such good characters. Stig is such an insufferable character and just reminds me of the type of man that won’t take no for an answer, and they just grate on my nerves. The twist with the magic near the end was so great and I honestly didn’t even catch it till it happened. I really did love this book, and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for providing me with an E-ARC to read and review.

Thank you so much to Avon and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this in exchange for my honest review!

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this going in, but I didn't expect to adore it nearly as much as I did. Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl, but treated like her "sister" princesses in every other way (to maximize the punishment for them). So when one of her sisters must be married off to someone dangerous in order to secure an alliance, she is sent in their place.

Fell is in charge of securing the border for the king, but from an area they consider to full of savages, and he won't do it anymore without the political pull of being married to a king's daughter. He doesn't expect someone with the fire and bravery of Tamsyn, and is happy when he finds out his princess has some courage to her. Until he learns she isn't a princess after all.

I seriously enjoyed watching the relationship with these two develop. I loved seeing them overcome their distrust and learn that what they'd always been taught wasn't at all true. I will say I saw the plot twist coming, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable! The biggest negative for me is that cliffhanger at the end. Ya girl can't stand a cliffhanger, but I still think this book deserved 4 stars and I can't wait to read the next.

This was an excellent romantasy read featuring a love triangle, arranged marriage, and dragons! The narrators did an exceptional job of bringing the story and characters to life, and made me feel immersed in the world. I LOVED the twist regarding the dragons and did not see it coming at all. There is immediate chemistry between Fell and Tamsyn, and I love how he helped her recognize her self-worth and that her “family” would not treat her the way they do if they truly loved her. I am excited for the series to continue!

Thank you to Libro.fm and HarperAudio for providing me with this audiobook, and to Avon for both a digital and physical copy. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

This book started out really intriguing; but the further it went on it became apparent that the author fell into a very common mistake: throwing as many trendy tropes as possible with no idea what to do with them. I felt like this was a great premise with no follow through. All in all very disappointing!

I really wanted to like this but I just didn't unfortunately. The pacing was really slow at 50% it felt like not a whole lot had happened and what had was rather uncomfortable (the consummation of the marriage). I could not connect with any of the three POV characters. Tamsyn the FMC just seemed to let things happen to her and was fine with it because it was her duty and her love for her sisters but there was so little interaction with them and what there was did not convey to me any real sense that they felt as deeply for her except maybe the youngest but even then. Don't even get me started on the King and Queen their behavior if they actually loved her like a daughter was inexcusable not just the events that take place in the book but her whole life. Stig came off as one of those guys that doesn't really care about something until you tell him he cant have it and then he is obsessed with having it. Fell, ugh, this man just wanted a princess and it didn't matter to him which. I get why he wanted the marriage but still his whole attitude put me off.

This story has a lot of potential. I am excited to see where this goes with future books in the series.

This story focuses on Tamsyn, a whipping girl that is more than she seems, marrying Fell, a brute that is actually a really decent guy. Each has their own points of view, which I enjoyed. The plot seemed intriguing, and the characters obviously had a lot more to them that could be explored. However, everything felt rushed. The development of the romance between Fell and Tamsyn wasn't there. One minute they hate each other, and the next Fell is out of his mind with desire. I really need more of a slow burn leading to the uncontrollable lust or just an absolute instant draw to one another as potentially fated mates. It came off as a bit of a mix, which just didn't work.

I felt the world-building was also a bit lacking. I need Sophie Jordan to spend as much time on the world-building and character development as she did on the ick of the arranged marriage.

I did not understand Stig's role in this story. He felt thrown in last minute. I felt he was added simply to increase the page count. We get chapters from his point of view, but I felt they weren't needed. Maybe it will play out further where his point of view will add depth and give us insight, but currently it is just annoying.

Dragons and magic still exist in “A Fire in the Sky” by Sophie Jordan, first in her new romantasy series!

There is a lot of world building given that this is the first book of the series. I appreciate world building and appreciate more that this romantasy was not wordy. I love the simplicity of this book with a story of woe, scandal, and a romance that will continue to grow.

I enjoyed that this was a dragon book and enjoyed more that this was a shifter story. I haven’t read a lot of shifter books so I was open to whatever Jordan delivered. The more I read, the more I excited I got to realize the fated mates aspect of this book!

I highly recommend this well-paced book for those who love anything dragons, magic, and fated mates!

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book was... fine. I was just kind of surprised when I got to the last ten percent because I didn't feel like anything had really happened? Tamsyn is raised as a whipping girl, the adopted daughter and princess of the court of Penterra, until Fell, the "Beast of the Boarderlands" comes to the kingdom and she is promised to him as his wife. She accepts her fate as a continuation of her familial duty. There are dragons and witches and magic but there's no real world building and no real climax and I just don't really get what the point of the story was. I also really dislike the way the author tries to dance around the issue of Tamsyn's trauma and obvious inability to give consent. Meh. Every book its reader and all that, but I am not the one for this one.

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ability to have this arc read.

I had high hopes for this book, I’ve seen it on several socials and thought it looked interesting. The first few chapters were interesting, it pulled me in. The fmcs story and how she was used a pawn, the mmcs broody and mysterious appeal. But I lost interest quickly after the wedding. There was so much missing information and they would be in one place and the next sentence they are somewhere else without context. It was all over the place and hard to follow. Also, the dragon was very cartoonistic. The way it’s described it moves reminds me of toothless. Also it was never described how she managed to shift back after seeing the witch. This book had potential but fell short for me.