This books was so good, I never expected the last part of the book, didn’t think they were both gonna be shifters. And love the touch they added to the physical copy, the flip book pictures

Thank you, NetGalley!

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I couldn't get into the plot and didn't care about the characters.

Pretty standard romantasy fare: strong if deluded heroine (a royal whipping girl who is steadfastly devoted to the royal family despite many indications most of them indeed view her as lesser). A “barbaric” hero (the leader of the borderlands army keeping the rich in the capital city safe). An arranged marriage with some identity subterfuge. Mistrust between the main characters after that subterfuge is discovered. A love triangle, though it’s pretty clear from the number of POV chapters he gets that Stig isn’t endgame.

But then: dragon shifters (and witches)! The (first) big reveal was not what I was expecting, and honestly I enjoyed the book so much more once my expectations were subverted. And then we get three more reveals at the very end, only 1/1.5 of which I had been expecting. Much more interested to read book 2 than I was to read book 1 now.

I was able to read this because NetGalley provided with an arc. I loved this romantasy. Great Read. I would read more by this author.

“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨. 𝙃𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙, 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”


Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

The FMC Tamsyn has been taken in as an orphan to live with the royal family and gets to live as a royal. However, there is a catch, she takes all punishment for her sisters, as royal children are untouchable in that way. When the Lord of the Borderlands, a brutish warrior, demands the King wed one of his daughters to him in exchange for his continued alliance, he is tricked into marrying Tamsyn. But will feelings develop besides the deceit?

Read this if you like…

🐉 Dual POV
🐉 Dragons 

🐉 Arranged marriage

🐉 Hidden identity
🐉 Political intrigue

Another book to add to my favorite dragon fantasy list! I loved this! A must read for all dragon lovers!

Definitely a rocky start (the wedding night scene was quite uncomfortable imo and the fmc had the personality of a plank of wood), but after Part II this ended up being an entertaining and quick romantasy read.

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

The beginning of this book really pulled me and promised so much more than it delivered. Although I did enjoy the book, there were times when I lost interest because the characters fell flat.

I loved the idea of an arranged marriage and A kind of enemies to lover's thing going on, but it felt off to me. There was no buildup, and they had like an insta-love thing that switched gears so fast it made my head spin.

The relationship between Tamsyn and Fell was almost nonexistent. There was no real connection between them other than they slept together. No emotional connection that would make him act the way he did in the end. I gathered there was supposed to be a kind of fated mates thing going on, but it was never fully fleshed out to be that.

The dragon aspect was different and my favorite part of the book. There were also some really good moments of description when I felt like I was really there, and some moments where it was lacking, and I wanted more.

I am not fully invested in the characters and their journey, but it was interesting enough that I would read a book two.

Unfortunately this one was not for me. I should have DNF after the super cringe marriage consummation scene.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

LOVED. Loved, loved, loved. This was so good guys! From the start, I was hooked. Arranged marriage with a feared barbarian and DRAGONS.. need I say more? If this isn't on your TBRs, it a million percent needs to be.

I was reeling at some points, giddy at others, and I am SO READY for book 2!

I really tried to like this one. I was in the mood for a Romantasy but this was not the one for me. It was very tell not show. The world building was so simplistic and I did not enjoy it.

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