Plot? Plot? Anyone see a plot over here? I sure can’t find it. This is a pretty long book to have so little happen. There was no character growth - no one even for a second confronted their own biases and prejudices so the romance felt flat. There was also shockingly little “fantasy” for a book that has dragons.

Very compelling and intriguing, fast paced great fantasy story! Well written plot but almost too fast paced, could’ve used more elaboration. Great plot building and overall loved!

I really wanted to love this book more than i did. It wasn't bad but I just didn't connect to it much and i felt like it kinda did out half way and I felt like i was forcing myself to finish it. Honestly i think i need to re read because i am such a mood reader and maybe I just wasn't feeling it at the time because I LOVE dragons lol it was just kinda of slow for me

This was uhhh not my favorite. The plot was slow, the romance was cringey. Their feelings flip flopped more than my pancakes on a Sunday morning. This might fruit some readers as it’s a quick read but it was not for me.

This is a dual POV romantasy about Tamsyn the royal whipping girl, and Fell the Warrior Beast of the north. In their magical land both dragons and witches have been hunted to extinction. But after their arranged marriage, the journey they go on reveals that magic is not extinct, but in hiding. And will be found in the most unexpected places.

Was this book an original and groundbreaking masterpiece? Far from it. But did it help me in my reading slump? Yes, I finished it in three days. I will say that it ends on a cliff hanger, and I feel like it was not the best place to end, but as a popcorn read I can recommend it. Maybe don’t buy it, but get it from the library or Kindle. I will read the sequel, since it was a fun time. Most romantasy books these days are too long. This one was too short, which I personally prefer.

*Wow—what an epic ride!* Sophie Jordan delivers a breathtaking romantasy filled with dragons, danger, and sizzling romance. Tamsyn is a fierce, unforgettable heroine, and the twists kept me hooked from start to finish. If you love high-stakes drama, passionate love stories, and a world brimming with secrets and magic, *A Fire in the Sky* is a must-read!

This book was soooo good. I didn’t realize that I had already purchased it and I read it in one day. I just couldn’t put it down. Between witches, spice, and dragons I was hooked.

"A Fire in the Sky" was my first foray into Sophie Jordan's work, and it certainly lived up to expectations. From the very first page, I was captivated, finding it to be an entertaining fantasy romance teeming with magic, dragons, and love—a delightful read that has me eagerly anticipating the second book.
In a world where dragons have vanished and witches are forced into hiding, the constant is humanity's insatiable thirst for power. Tamsyn, raised in the palace alongside the princesses, is both part of the family and an outsider. She understands her role and loyally endures the princesses' punishments as their "whipping girl." Though she's treated like a sister and holds affection for them, she willingly accepts her role. However, when the formidable Beast of the Borderlands, Fell, demands a princess as his bride, Tamsyn is ordered to take the princess's place, veiled to deceive the fierce warrior into marriage. She consents to this final act to safeguard her sisters, even at the cost of leaving her family and best friend. But what will happen when Fell discovers the deception? Will he resign to his fate, or seek retribution against the bride who fooled him? As Tamsyn's secrets begin to unravel, they will soon discover that there's much more at risk—will these revelations draw them together or doom the entire kingdom?
For those who cherish fantasy infused with a dash of magic, romance, and dragons, this is a tale not to be missed. The evolving bond between Fell and Tamsyn is mesmerizing, drawing you into their improbable alliance. Crafted with beautiful prose, this compelling and alluring narrative will leave you yearning for more.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan ignites the ultimate fantasy adventure for fans of witches and dragons. Set in a world where dragons no longer rule the skies and magic is fading, the story captures the mystique of hidden powers and long-buried secrets. Tamsyn, a young woman forced into a life of punishment and servitude, finds herself at the center of a fiery battle when she’s ordered to marry the dangerous Fell, a warrior with a dark reputation. Their chemistry—and her discovery of her own magical potential—adds layers of excitement and intrigue as she confronts dragons’ ancient legacy and the awakening of magic itself. Jordan masterfully brings the thrill of witches and dragons back to life, promising a powerful blend of romance, danger, and enchantment that will keep readers spellbound.

I was obsessed with Sophie Jordan’s Firelight series as a kid, and when I learned she was writing an adult series, I knew I had to read it ASAP. This was a perfect mixture of sweet nostalgia and new exciting twists! Fire in the Sky is a very easy-going read with intriguing action scenes. The romance is done to perfection, unfolding at the right amounts of tension and passion. Fell is the kind of love interest you can’t help but root for!

I love Tamsyn’s background and the thought that went into it, it added a unique depth to her story and personality. I’m interested to see how it plays a role in the continuation of the story, and how it will affect her struggles. The vivid imagery adds a level of immersion to the story that I found refreshing too.

I devoured this book in just a few hours, I was so upset when I finished! I want to return to Penterra right now, I cannot wait to read more of this story. Time to go re-read Firelight now!!

Thank you NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for this review copy.

I have mixed feelings about this book.

On one hand, I didn't hate the main character. She's smart and resilient and not a "poor me" whiner. She might be such a non-whiner, in fact, that her family walks all over her and she just smiles and waves.

On the other hand, the multiple viewpoints seemed so unnecessary. <spoiler>We meet Stig for just a minute and then he's got his own chapters that we jump back to in the middle of the book. Fell's viewpoint really doesn't tell us anything that Tamsyn's doesn't. I'm not a professional author so I'm probably just wrong on this, but I feel like it would have been better written in third person rather than four (?) first person viewpoints that really don't come off as having a different tone at all.</spoiler>

My other quibble is with some of the weird turns of phrase. One that stuck with me (and was right at the beginning!) was Tamsyn saying her "breasts weren't dormant." Girl what. And shortly after, feeling Fell's voice like a slap?

That said, I read it, I finished it, and I even found myself wanting to keep reading and putting my other book on a temporary hiatus. So yeah, not bad! I'll read the second.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for this ARC!

I think I'd really rate this book around a 3.5 but will round up because it was an entertaining, light read, and kept my attention. However, I need more world building and explanation in the second book because what did I just read? Clearly there are hints and you can anticipate what's going to happen, but also...how?

I'm also interested in seeing more character growth from Tamsyn - she's not a bad fmc but I'm hoping she'll come into her own in her new environment. I found the interactions between Stig and Fell hilarious, although I'm not sure I should have (shrug). Overall, the story has potential- I do wish the reveal at the end had come sooner so we got more story in the first book, a lot of time was spent on them traveling.

I received the e-book ARC of this story and I am so glad that I did! From the first page to the last this story held my attention which recently has been hard to do. The FMC, Tamsyn is great. She is heroic, spunky, and at times self loathing. Fell is such a gentle giant even though for a minute I wanted to punch him in the throat. The story and cliff hanger was a little predictable, but the delivery made this one of my few 5 stars for the year.

AHHHHHH

I'm so obsessed. This book is my entire personality now. WOW. I didn't expect to love this book as much as I do! I immediately need book 2 nooooow 😩

Tamsyn and Fell are such a great couple and that ENDING. Fuck me.

A Fire in the Sky tells the story of Tamsyn, the whipping girl for the royal family of Penterra. She has grown up with the princesses, always told that she was one of them, but she was the one who had to pay for any mistakes they made. Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, comes to court to update the royal family on the attacks on their borders and to demand a wife as payment. He hopes that having a princess for a wife will give him more sway with the kingdom and allow him to make changes to help his people. Tamsyn is offered in the place of the princesses, told to keep her identity a secret. Once she's been wedded and bedded, her identity is revealed and while Fell isn't thrilled with the deception, he accepts Tamsyn and they begin the long journey back to the Borderlands. Along the way, the encounter magic Tamsyn thought was all but extinct and reveal secrets about themselves that they never would have believed.

Unfortunately, A Fire in the Sky missed the mark for me. The main issue I had with the story was that the pacing was so slow. It felt like very little happened in this book and it took forever to make any progress. There was a lot of repetitive inner monologuing that I feel could have been cut and maybe been replaced with more world building. I found the world to be interesting, but there just weren't enough details for my liking. Fell also accepted Tamsyn super easily and was almost immediately enamored with her, which felt unrealistic. I understand they have a special connection, but it would have made more sense for Fell to struggle with it a bit more. This book will appeal to readers who like super romantic male leads and introspective romantasy.

I DEVOURED this book! Like truly it was so addicting and it gave me everything I NEEDED. This book grabbed me from the very begging and it had me hooked until the very last page, I can’t wait to read more.
Tam and Fell instantly burrowed their way into my heart and their story had me on the edge of my seat. Tam (especially in the beginning) broke my heart with the amount of brainwashing that was happening to her by those who claimed to lover her and it was truly so rewarding to see her character growth. Fell even though he was knows as “The Beast” because he was a ruthless warrior won my heart with his tender care, protectiveness, loyalty and yearning.

Were their some parts of the story I predicted/hope would happen? YES ABSOLUTELY but that just made me eat it up even more. Any time I had to put this book down I couldn’t stop thinking about it and all I wanted was to just know more. The ending was fast paced, shocking and amazing and I honestly wish this book was longer because I want more of these characters and this world.

This book gave me some mild Outlander vibes with dragons and magic. While this wasn’t the spiciest read ever I didn’t think it needed more spice, the tension was just so good, and it made sense for the characters and the plot.

If you love dragons, arranged marriages, secret magic, and delicious tension then you absolutely NEED to read this book.

Need to get lost in a new fantasy book? Look no further because A Fire in the Sky is it! Witches have gone into hiding, and dragons no longer exist….or do they? The twists and secrets along the way keep you hooked!

The beginning was a tad slow as it set everything up, but it was easy to follow…and then it really turned into an action packed, heart pumping, and addicting read.

The story follows a strong-willed heroine caught in the dangerous world, with a huge secret about her past. Tamsyn’s forced Marriage to Fell brings all the sexual tension as they feel drawn to each other but despise each other. Tamsyn wants answers, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to find them.

The ending felt a bit rushed, and it left you with a big cliff hanger, so now and I want book 2 asap!!!!!

What a great story. I was kind of blind going in on this one and was blown away by it. The chemistry between Fell and Tamsyn was off the charts, although their marriage bedding has some serious sexual assault vibes. The writing style flows so that the story flies by, however there is a lot of repeating dialogue. The story has alternating chapters as we switch between Fell, Tamsyn, and even Stig shows up once in a while. My only tiny criticism is that Tamsyn is a stereotype of a character repeated in fantasy books. The beaten and beautiful orphan becomes the sought-after warrior. Don't get me wrong, it is a good story, but this one character trait seems very repeated. I look forward to reading more by this author.

In general, I love Sophie Jordan's writing and this book was no exception. I enjoyed the premise of the novel, but I do feel the pacing was off. The first 80% was setting up the characters/plot and the last 20% flew to the ending. Is this going to be a series? I thought the ending left many more questions than answers.

I was utterly swept away by A Fire in the Sky, a thrilling blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure. The book follows Tamsyn, an orphan raised alongside princesses, who serves as their whipping girl. Though not a true sister to the royal family, she’s treated like one and has grown up in the palace, enduring great hardship and pain for the sake of the princesses. The plot takes a sharp turn when Fell, the brooding and enigmatic Lord of the Borderlands, demands a princess’s hand in marriage, setting the stage for an enemies-to-lovers, arranged marriage romance that had me gripped from start to finish.

The worldbuilding in this book is immersive, yet accessible. The lore of the land is introduced without being overwhelming, allowing the story to flow smoothly. It’s a high-stakes, plot-twist-filled journey that had me gobbling this book up in 2 days. There’s magic, dragons, witches, and a sizzling romance—what more could a fantasy lover ask for?

Tamsyn is a relatable and likable protagonist. Though she starts off as meek, submissive, and somewhat naïve, her character arc is one of significant growth. She transforms from someone who quietly endures the abuse of her situation into a courageous, strong woman who begins to question her place in the world.

Fell, the MMC, is dark, brooding, and mysterious, but as the story unfolds, glimpses of a softer, more caring side beneath his beastly reputation emerges. I loved the dynamic between him and Tamsyn. Fell is definitely a “touch her and die” kind of hero, and watching him fall for Tamsyn—despite his initial resistance—was satisfying.

The plot is fast-paced and filled with unexpected twists. While I did predict some of the major plot points due to heavy foreshadowing, the writing was strong enough that I still thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

The ending, definitely left me wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the next installment in the series!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC. Opinions are my own.