A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson took me on adventure that was filled with fantasy and romance and lots of dangerous adventure.
Between the danger and decisions that Lia had to make this book will have you reading into the night.
Set in the cursed desert nation of Locris, We follow Princess Lia, who must navigate a deadly ritual to save her people.
Every year, two maidens from Locris are chosen to go to the neighboring nation.
There they have to compete in a life or death race that no maiden has ever survived.
Will this year be didn’t.?
The author did a wonderful job weaving in Greek mythology, danger, fantasy and some spicy romance. The romance between Lia and Jason add just that spice to have you hooked.
You’ll be impatiently waiting for the next book.

I was excited to see this book contained trials. One of my favorite tropes is trials/games. This is such a great romantasy. The trial aspect is unique and a bit unorthodox. I will say this banked more in romance with a fantasy element then a full flesh fantasy novel. I’m excited to pick up the next one!

Thank you so much Sariah Wilson for letting me read your amazing book for a review!

Lia is the princess of a land that is dying from a centuries old curse, put upon them by a vengeful goddess. Every year her people give up two Locrian maidens as tribute to the goddess, during which they have to compete in a life or death race to the goddesses temple through a city of people hunting them for sport. In a millennium no maiden has made it out of Ilion alive and this year its Lias turn. This is what she has been training for but all her plans fall apart when the other maiden chosen is her own sister.

This book has so many layers to it which just made it so thrilling and captivating the whole read. Lia is a princess who, in a bid to save their land has been offered for an arranged marriage. Rising taxes and port controls by other lands have caused her people to become poor, barely getting by, this alliance could save them, but Lia has other plans.

First the political intrigue is brilliant and sets the book up really well, we learn about the history and current state of Lias kingdom and family, why she has been put into an arranged marriage and how this could help her people. Then the element of mythology and magic is added with the curse on her land from the goddess, causing her to go on a dangerous quest. And of course we get a handsome stranger that consumes her thoughts, all while trying not to get her or her sister killed in their attempt to save… well, the world. Thrust into a new found family with new sisters made under an oath at the goddess temple she has to try to figure out how to complete her goals of saving the kingdom while juggling this new sisterhood. Uncovering many secrets, her world is about to change as she discovers nothing is as it seems.

Cue training montage!

I feel like this could be really popular as a book series, I already can’t wait for the second book. It has all the elements that make up a great fantasy book. Brilliant action scenes, a stabby female mc, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, a dark and handsome stranger, spicy scenes, strong female friendships with a found family vibe. Magical elements.. there’s even a dragon at one point (I’m hoping we get more of them in the next book).

I think the thing that stood out for me in this book though is the brilliantly multi faceted side characters that we get to meet. Her new found family that help her in this journey are so well written and each has their own fully fleshed out personality and we come to love each one. Their bonds just made me so happy to read about and I’m looking forward to more of this too.

I think I know what most people are going to love about this though and that’s the romance. This was really great, I loved the banter between them and their steamy moments I think will be popular. Although admittedly I did get annoyed by her as she seemed to just melt into a brainless horny girl in these moments when usually she is so headstrong and determined. I am hoping there will be some weird reason for this but we don’t know much yet! this romance has the potential to be really beautiful but, this is just my opinion too - I love the plot and the characters outside of this romance so much I wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t there!! (Just me though)

The main twist at the end I did see coming, the others though… no!! And I love that, I am so so excited to see how this turns out!! Overall I definitely recommend this book to everyone and I am very much looking forward to book 2!

A Tribute of Fire has everything I love in a fantasy romance. Easy to navigate world building, likable characters, Greek mythology, found family, secrets and suspense and a romance with witty banter and tension, that I know we have barely scratched the surface of. I really loved Lia and Jason and I love when you just know so much more is coming!!!

I don’t want to talk too much about the plot, as to not give away anything , so I’ll just say if you are a looking for a pretty solid romantasy and a great start to a series , give this one a try. It was throughly entertaining— so much so, that I read it in one day! The cliffhanger had me gasping and wanting book two immediately!!!!

I really, really wanted to give Lia a horny bonk on the head. It was incredibly distracting up to the point it was slightly disturbing.

That aside, the story is loosely based on Greek mythology, so enthusiasts might appreciate the wink towards the story of Cassandra and Ajax. The author does a great job building onto the mythology while creating her own tale.

At some point I kinda lost track of where the story was going since it switched between romance and temple-life often. I feel like the bigger story is something we have yet to see, so I’m looking forward to the next part!

I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. I liked the politics, world building and the sisterhood but Lea's mentality is of a horny teenager and the religious aspect really made me cringe multiple times. If I had the book I would've thrown it on the wall (my Kindle is so precious, and expensive to do that)

As an avid romantasy reader, this one fell a little flat. The pacing was off from the beginning and the middle dragged. I think it might be enjoyable for a teen that’s just getting into fantasy or romantasy though.

thank you to sariah wilson who provided a copy of this e-ARC to review!

i was thoroughly impressed at how much i enjoyed this book. while it did start out a little slow with the world building, my interest was always piqued through the entire book.

thousands of years ago, the great goddess cursed all of the locrian women and it has since become tradition to hold an annual deadly race to the temple for a sliver of a chance to possibly reverse the curse. lia is a princess who has been training hard in secret to enter the race in order to save her people. her plans fall in order after she is chosen because she was also betrothed to a prince in a neighboring kingdom (whom she had no intention of ever marrying). but then she meets this strange, yet handsome, sailor named jason. before she is even chosen as one of the women to race, it's lust at first sight and right off the bat it seemed so insta-love/lusty that i had a hard time truly connecting to their romance story from the very beginning.

the book also jumps from such a quick and short race to her figuring out her next move and it felt very sporadic and not well executed at times. despite the pacing, i did enjoy the easy to read writing - i just wish there was more world building and the fantasy aspect. the plot does thicken and gets more interesting more than halfway into the book and the ending really had me reeling because of the twisty cliffhanger. was it the greatest fantasy i've ever read? no, but i did have a good time. and keeping in mind that it's only the first book in the series and hopefully there will be more of the fantasy element included (ahem, like the dragons and lia's supposed fascination and/or connection to them)

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I knew of Sariah Wilson from the romance world, so I was intrigued about this romantasy from her. I really loved the pacing and the writing style - sometimes I can get a little lost in the intense world building of fantasy books, but that didn't happen here. Instead, I was able to connect immediately with the world building because the writing was rooted in a modern style.

As for the characters...I really like Lia and her connection with Jason. I'll leave it at that to avoid spoilers. Highly recommend!

I have not stopped thinking about the ending of this book. A Tribute of Fire is a testament to the strength of women, it is bold, exciting and new. The world building is intricate and so captivating. Every character whether protagonist or antagonist is compelling. The enemies to lovers is addictive and the spice is just enough. If you like mythology, trials, sisterhood and a smidge of moral greyness then this is the story for you.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an eARC of this for a review.

Meh. Too many small issues for me to rate this higher. Interesting story, has potential, but for me it misses the mark.

I’m not sure what makes this a fan fiction because there is no actual enemies to lovers here. They both basically fell in love at first sight — well, more aptly, she will into lust but calls it love. They have maybe four interactions, know nothing about one another and claim to be in love! I also didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters so that could be why it felt so forced.

There’s a line where the MFC states the sun rotates around the earth despite the fact this is set in something similar to ancient Greece. This line serves no purpose and this knowledge wouldn’t exist then 😭 like what’s the point.

About almost halfway through the book, there’s a part where she says that she can begin to move on from the death of her sister because she finally had time to grieve. Okay but. She literally cried one time. Once.

I’m not sure what the intended audience is, but this is very much written like a YA- which is fine. Just don’t go in expecting this to be an adult fantasy.

There are a lot of inconsistencies with the characters behaviors and actions. For instance, at the beginning, she tells you that she bribed people to get her information about this other place that was strange to her so that she could build a map and memorize it. But then halfway through the book, she doesn’t put any thought into how she’s actually going to sneak out of the temple she’s in and just goes for it without any preparation.

This has such a great hook and plot. Got a little stalled out in the middle, but the end brought it all back together. Ready for the next already!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5| 3.5 stars rounded up

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Tribute of Fire follows Lia, a princess of Locris, who is selected for a deadly tribute to the Goddess in which two young women must race to her temple ina foreign land to atone for her ancestor violating the Goddess and her temple over a thousand years ago. Lia is chosen alongside her adopted sister and best friend.

I enjoyed the world building in this novel, and I loved the portrayal of female friendships and sisterhood. With that said, the romantic relationship between Lia and Jason felt like complete insta-lust and enough lacked depth for me to believe it was love and not just lust.

The focus of the book felt a bit jumbled for me and I would have loved to see Lia and Jason have more meaningful character development, but I still really enjoyed this book and will definitely read the sequel.

**Rounded up to 3.5
A Tribute of Fire is the first in Sariah Wilson's The Eye of the Goddess series. This fantasy offering is a mixed bag, but ultimately worth the read.
Lia (Euthalia) is a princess of Locris, a country that has been under a curse for a thousand years. Nothing will grow on their soil and they must import everything they use. Because an ancestor committed an unspeakable crime, the goddess worshipping nation of Ilonia has demanded tribute each year of two maidens who must attempt to run a gauntlet to try and reach the sanctuary of the Temple. Those who do not are killed and burned by the men of Ilonia. No maiden has succeeded in that 1000 years. Lia intends to change that and try to discover how she can end the curse on her land. She trains for a year to survive the gauntlet and it will not be a spoiler to state she does succeed (there would be no story if she died). Now she must figure out how to save her country.
Parts of this book were very good. I do like the character of Lia and her sisters are pretty well drawn for a beginning book in a series. Jason smirked a bit too much for my liking. Unfortunately the book dragged at times and got a little repetitive, but overall it was an entertaining read. The action was great. The emotions not as much - a little too much angst. I absolutely despise cliff hangers which this book has, but the world building is pretty good. The book has its ups and downs, but I think it is worth the read for fantasy lovers and I do want to find out what happens in the second book.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really got sucked in to this story which follows Lia, princess of Locris, a nation doomed by the actions of one of her male ancestors thousands of years ago. To atone for his crime, every year two maidens are selected as tributes to the goddess and taken to Ilion where they must race through the streets to her temple to seek sanctuary. In their way stand most of the men of the city, ready to fight to the death to prevent them from reaching the temple. No Locrian maiden has ever succeded, but Lia knows it's the only way to save her country.

I had anticipated that the majority of the book would focus on the race, battling through the streets, but in fact, there are several other points of equal focus too and at several times I was holding my breath wondering what would happen next. I would have liked more of the race actually though I thoroughly enjoyed what came before and after too.

Lia is a fighter in many senses of the word but can over-estimate her abilities - I love a character who has to reanalyse based on shifting information and this happens to her throughout the book. She is a bit of a horny teenager who has never been kissed before but Jason, her love interest is a fascinating character - so easy and jovial, always quick to move on and things seem to roll off him like water off a duck's back.

There are several 'twists' towards the end and although they aren't all as much of a surprise as I would have hoped there is a cliffhanger - I want the next book now!

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC, this is my honest opinion.

Rating: 3.5

An enjoyable read, but not executed as well as it could have been. The pacing was off to a slow start, as the introduction into the world and Lia began.

The Ancient Greek inspiration was a nice background to develop off of with its rich mythological background, and this book built its world well off of it. Our main character is fierce and headstrong, her character developing while she was in the trial. I loved reading the character interactions, as well as getting to know these characters through Lia's view. Some bits could have been more informative, while some bits needed to cool down on the description since it just oversaturated into one area.

The ending was intense - there was foreshadowing sprinkled throughout, but it was still a bit tough to get through.

Overall, I think the book was a bit long for what it was, but it was still decent.

An interesting world with a cliffhanger that has me needing more and ready to continue this story with book two next year!

A few things I am happy with: Greek mythology, started off very strong, the world building, pretty likable but flawed FMC and her found family. This book made me cry and once you read a certain part of the book, so will you. There were creatures lurking, magic to be discovered, action, mystery, enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies. All around a fun read.

With that being said, I did have some reservations. Some predictable moments. FMC/MMC strange scenes in the beginning that I can look past (we’ve all been a young adult with big new feelings and I know I acted silly when I was that age-19), but knocked down the rating for me. It was an bit odd with how they meet and interact for the first time.

Thanks NetGally for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars
That ending though *phew*
The things I loved about this book were the characters/found family and the plot was refreshing.
I started out thinking that it was going to be going one way and then it took a sharp turn in a different direction which I enjoyed. I was surprised multiple times which is getting increasingly difficult the more I read in this genre.
My main negatives are:
1. The name Jason is so distracting and weird especially when put against literally every other name in the book.
2. I didn't get the connection between them. The plot itself and what was happening in the temple was way more interesting than anything happening between Lia and Jason. But I'm thinking that might be remedied in the next installment.
All that to say, I'll for sure be reading the next one.

Thank you to Sariah Wilson, Tales and Teacups and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook in return for my honest review!

A Tribute of Fire is a Greek mythology-inspired romantasy novel by Sariah Wilson, where the fate of a cursed nation lies in the hands of a fierce princess. She must complete a death-defying ritual to restore her lands and save her people. This novel is a refreshing departure from many popular romantasy stories, offering a unique take on gods, enemies-to-lovers dynamics, and a heroine who can save herself.

What I appreciated most about the story was how multifaceted the main character, Lia, is. She's deadly in battle yet compassionate toward the women who surround her. Her complexity makes her an engaging protagonist. However, some of the other characters, particularly Jason, felt like fantasy archetypes. For example, Jason fits the mold of the "mysterious, handsome man the FMC (female main character) wants to climb like a tree." Their relationship often felt unbalanced—at times I found myself questioning, Why is this marketed as enemies to lovers when they both just want to rip each other's clothes off?

BUT. THE. ENDING.

By the end, I was completely hooked. I can't wait to see how both Lia and Jason develop in future installments, and I'm particularly curious to learn more about Jason's backstory.

Aside from the relationship dynamics and a few character tropes, the main story and writing were fantastic. One of the things I appreciated most about A Tribute of Fire was its digestibility. The worldbuilding felt organic, and Wilson clearly took her time crafting a unique magic system and immersive world. I’m already eager for the next installment—no, seriously, Sariah, I need it now!

This was a great book! I really enjoyed reading and cannot wait for book 2. The characters and the world building was amazing, I was completely immersed in the world.