A Fire in the Sky
Sophie Jordan
Rating: 4.5 stars (rounded to 5)

This book was the perfect cozy fantasy romance read that I was looking for. It took me a minute to get into but then it was a lot of fun. I love the arranged marriage trope, so this was the perfect book for that. The tension between Tamsyn and Fell was sizzling, and I am a sucker for a romance with some trickery and a brooding warrior. I appreciated that Tamsyn actually had a backbone. She was clever, independent, and fought for herself.
Some areas of the story lacked nuance and realistic development, but overall I just found it an enjoyable read with a good mix of romance and magic.
I also realized that I actually read Firelight by this author many years ago, so it’s cool to read more of her books. I definitely will keep an eye out for book 2.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This started off interesting, but as the book progressed, I got bored & had to force myself to finish. Interesting plot & set up, but the execution & twists were not twists as I guessed what the plot twists were around the 33% mark. It was an okay book

I had high hopes for this book, but it didn't quite deliver. While it’s not bad, I’m not fully convinced it’s good either. The premise promised much, but the execution fell flat. Twists and reveals were predictable, and the writing was bogged down by repetitive internal monologues...and some of the descriptive choices gave me the "ick."

This fantasy novel begins with Tamsyn's story, the royal girl who is not royal at all. But instead is the royal whipping girl. The one who is punished for the actual princesses misdeeds. While the realm has seen magical things like dragons and witches, they have been hunted to extinction by the warriors in the border lands. When the beast or king of the borderlands comes to the castle to claim a bride, Tamsyn's 'father' cannot part with one of his beloved daughters so he tricks the beast of the borderlands into marrying Tamsyn. Fell decides to keep his bride and travel back home. While this story starts as enemies to lovers, it becomes clear that secrets are emerging that bond them closer together and may change the fate of the world. Can't wait for book 2!

Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl, but she is still considered part of the royal family. She is not exactly a princess, but she has a good life in the palace, or so she thinks. When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, arrives at the palace demanding one of the princesses as his wife, the king obliged by giving him Tamsyn. The royal family thinks this a compromise, Fell thinks it is betrayal, and Tamsyn turns out to be stronger than any of them think. This story was mostly fast-paced (it did drag a bit on their journey to Fell’s home), and the magic was creative. There were some predictable events, but ultimately the end was surprising. Readers into dragons, witches, and romance will devour this one.

This book started off so strong. I read about 50% in one sitting and was loving it. Sadly, the book slowly lost more and more of my attention. Towards the end, I found myself skimming through scenes to see what happened. The reveals were very predictable and the smut scenes were relatively poorly timed.

The book is a fast read if you are looking for a quick romantasy! Just not my taste :(

Um, when does the second book come out??!

I knew, I just knew, that this book was going to end on a cliffhanger, and I was right, and I wish I was wrong!

Ok, let me backtrack a little. This book is wonderful. About 50 pages in, if that, I knew that I was going to love this book. I believe this is the first Sophie Jordan book I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. Jordan does an amazing job building the personalities and the world, simultaneously, without taking away from the other.

Tamsyn, the FMC, had the potential to be really annoying, and I don’t know if every author could keep her likable and growing, without being frustrating. Tamsyn goes through….a LOT, in this book. She starts as the royal whipping girl, and ends as… well, I don’t want to spoil it, so I will leave it there. IYKYK. Jordan gives her the perfect balance of insecurities but also a backbone, which is really refreshing. Her growth is amazing and handled really well, without being unbelievable, given the circumstances.

Fell, the MMC, oh my gosh, where do I start with Fell. I love him. Listen, as far as fantasy leading men goes… Fell is king. King of the Borderlands and king of everyone else, in my humble opinion. The ultimate male leading role. Ugh, I just want the world to love him.

That ending twist…I kinda saw it coming, but because Jordan sprinkled little Easter eggs throughout the book, so when it eventually did happen, I shouted “YES!” I had been waiting for it, loved that it did happen, and UGH I JUST WANT THE NEXT BOOK.

One very minor thing I didn’t love was the repetition of words. “No, no, no, no, no, no,” for example. Every now and again is fine, but that does happen frequently in this book. However, I was gifted an ARC from the publisher, so the the final copies may not have the level of repetition in them :) It’s a small thing, and in no way detracts from the book, overall.

Do yourself a favor. If you are a fantasy lover, who appreciates things on the spicy side, please go buy this book!

I loved it! It kept me wanting more from the second I started it and I did not want to put it down. If a book can do that, I'm happy. I would put this in the category of easy, quick reads and it nailed it for me. I did not read the related series, so I did feel like a void at the end of it and that the story maybe wasn't concluded to my liking? That just makes me want to go and pick up the series that inspired this one so I know more about the world.

I'm not sure I'd say A Fire in the Sky was a good book, but it was definitely a fun book. Political maneuvering, unexplained sexy feelings, and the lingering threat of dragons - what else does a book really need?

Tamsyn is the royal whipping girl, an orphan chosen as an infant to take all the punishment for the princesses even as she's raised alongside them. With her "sisters" growing older, she finds herself unsure of what her future will look like. That is, until the king decides she will wed the Beast of the Borderlands, a notorious border lord who has come demanding a marriage with one of the king's daughters in exchange for the work he has done keeping the kingdom safe. He's not thrilled when he discovers the trickery the king has pulled, but he can't deny the pull he feels towards Tamsyn. And all the while, the growing threat of dragons and witches lingers in the background.

Here's the thing about this book. The characters are kind of flat and the plot feels a little nebulous - it's mostly a road trip with some ominous vibes. But the guessing game of whether Tamsyn or Fell will turn out to be a surprise dragon added some much-needed fun chaos to an otherwise meh book. This is definitely a "just ride the vibes" kind of book, and when approached like that, it's generally a fun read!

3.25/5

I've enjoyed Sophie Jordan books in the past and I really like romantasy, so this book caught my attention. I did really enjoy the story - thought it started especially strong with descriptions and characters. I do think it got a bit slow in the middle and dragged along a little. The ending picked back up, but there were pieces of it that felt to abrupt and a bit out of character for a few characters. There was a "plot twist" that I saw coming from a mile off, but the way it was done was part of the abruptness I felt. Overall, I really enjoyed and I'm sad that there has been no announcement for when the next one will be released!

I’m aware that I’m fairly easy to please when it comes to fantasy. You give me a strong FMC, a strong MMC, a fantasy world I believe in, and I’m there. Throw in some magic & some tension and we’re good! All that to say . . . I really enjoyed this! There were multiple times I had to stop myself from skipping ahead because I needed to know what was going on. I refuse to hear negative critiques about this (although I will subtract a star bc I recognize them & am fully committed to honesty in reviews). Nevertheless, I am very interested in Tamsyn and Fell & I absolutely will be there for the next one. As for Stig?! Stig can kick rocks.

*Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this arc.

Now, this book hooked me from the start. I like the author’s writing style and descriptiveness. Until they started repeating. Repeating. Repeating. I also was a little confused on the dragon descriptions. Sometimes they seemed more humanoid than mythical creature.

However, those are my only two complaints. I enjoyed the characters, the plot line, the SPICE 🥵

Whereas, it does seem there are some Fourth Wing influences. It wasn’t too much, and well done. I honestly would have loved more in this first book. Maybe a little more time delving into life once Tamsyn got to the Borg. Also A MAP! But that’s just a personal preference.

I highly reccomend this book to anyone who loves dragons, spice, and an easy read!

DNFed at 50% and then skimmed some of the rest. I really wanted to like this book, and the plot did start of strong, but pretty soon it began to slow down a lot. Like, a LOT. I think the romance between Tamsyn and Fell was supposed to make up for that, but I felt like their romance didn't have the necessary buildup and the tension didn't simmer long enough for me to be as invested as I was supposed to be. It felt like a sudden switch flipping and was a bit jarring, to be honest. I was also so confused as to how Fell suddenly accepted Tamsyn as his bride/wife? Wasn't the fate of his kingdom resting on him marrying a true princess, which Tamsyn is not? The way Tamsyn's trauma was handled in the book also felt very weird to me. She seemingly blindly accepts marrying a brutal warrior to save her sisters, and this doesn't, like... cause any trauma triggers or anything? It was giving "romantasy tough girl" in a way that felt disingenuous and not true to how trauma actually manifests and would affect someone. All in all, I really wished I liked this book more, but I can't say that I would recommend it. It fell into the category of a lot of other romantasies for me and didn't distinguish itself or hook me emotionally. I do think some romantasy readers will still enjoy it, as there are fun elements to the world and plot.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon / Harper Voyager, and Sophie Jordan for providing an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This book was a very quick read for me. There wasn’t much world building, but it was set up well enough for the series to continue on. The book was pretty repetitive, so at times it was boring for me. I wish it was longer to go into better detail on certain aspects. I did enjoy the ending, so I look forward to the continuation of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan is the first book in a new fantasy series set thousands of years before Firelight. With dragons, witches, and deadly warriors, it taps into the current trend of fantasy and romantasy, much like Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses. This is the perfect time to revisit the world Jordan originally introduced over a decade ago with her popular Firelight series.

The story is set in the kingdom of Panterra, where dragons have long disappeared from the skies. At the heart of the story is 21-year-old Tamsyn, Lord Fell Dryhten, and Sig, the captain of the guard and Tamsyn’s only true ally. Tamsyn, known as the royal whipping girl, endures punishment whenever the princesses misbehave. Fell, also called the Beast of the Borderlands, is charged with protecting Panterra from external threats.

Abandoned as a baby, Tamsyn was adopted by the King and Queen and raised in court alongside the princesses Feena, Sybilia, and Alise. Though she’s treated like family, she also holds the lowest status, making her feel like she belongs nowhere. Her sole friend is Sig, though she sometimes suspects he wants more than just friendship. But Tamsyn’s world turns upside down when Fell arrives at court, demanding a marriage alliance with one of the King’s daughters.

To protect the princesses, the Queen orders Tamsyn to disguise herself and take the princess’s place. Reluctantly, Tamsyn agrees, leaving behind her life and Sig. The wedding night begins with unexpected passion but quickly spirals into near violence when Fell discovers the deception. Rather than incite war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his wife—but can he handle the dark secrets she doesn’t even know she’s hiding? For Tamsyn is much more than the whipping girl she appears to be, and when those secrets come to light, they threaten to destroy the kingdom. Magic isn’t dead; it’s only dormant, waiting for an ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

This is a classic enemies-to-lovers romance. As Tamsyn and Fell spend more time together, their chemistry becomes undeniable, despite their attempts to resist it. As they journey to Tamsyn’s new, harsh home, the tension between them grows, eventually sparking a flame neither can control. The final chapters of the book are especially gripping, particularly a scene where one of Fell’s men tries to kill Tamsyn, leading to a shocking moment that makes everyone believe something terrible has happened to her.

The book ends on a massive cliffhanger, revealing that both Tamsyn and Fell have been lied to about their true identities and origins.

I can't wait for the next book. This book reminds me a bit of Cassandra Clare's new Sword Catcher series with the role of the royal whipping girl taking the whippings and the unwanted duties of royalty. I think Fell is going to be a interesting character, you already see his conflicted nature. Tamsyn's secret I can't wait to find even more out about what path will take these two in the next book.

Absolutely an unputdownable read from start to finish. I devoured this whole.

Dragons are SO BACK, baby! Romantasy at its finest, and I need it now.

I more info about the magic and the world and witches and dragons. Book 2, come at me!

Loved the idea of this book and it definitely had parts where I was invested but also big chuck that just didn’t of my interest. Love the dragons, the journey for the mc had to make and grow as a character. I just didn’t feel like it was written in a way that just held your attention and continuously drew you in. I needed more but I don’t think it was a bad story at all just seemed to lack that draw and when it started to have it… it didn’t seem to last.

Great book! Would recommend to people who love romance fantasy novels with a little slower read. I wonder what will be next for the author

Really enjoyed the book and cannot wait for more!
I will say i thought the beginning was really slow but it started to pick up around 27%