Immersed in the culture and world-building.
My main reason for reading anything aside from plot itself & feeling.

Two Locrian Tributes are chosen to fight their way through a maze in a city not known to them in a race to the temple of an Earth Goddess who cursed their people long ago. Cursed their land to be barren. With ocean access but nothing green.
Without grass,trees,and wildlife.

The Locrian Princess Thalia is trained ahead of time, against the rules.
Schemes to get selected as a tribute.
All for a chance to return to her people who something to save them.
Along the way she became a part of a found family and discovered so much more to life. Sacrificing for others.

Thalia aka Lia is a likeable protagonist who despite her naive nature is bold, compassionate, saving of her fellow women in need, and a fighter.

This book is full of banter, emotion, magic, & survival.

I do wish they spent more time on the labyrinth construct along with the time spent in in trying to survive.

However, I do love this adventure based in moral, faith, family, & a hint of destiny.

An ending that will surprise you.

Copy recieved was an ARC.
My opinion is my own and is left voluntarily.

This is a fast paced, action filled gem of a book with a very strong FMC.
Lia makes her own choices and she survives and kicks ass while doing it.
I really like the worldbuilding, the friendships and the lovestory. There is a lot happening in this book and much of it I really didn't see coming, which I love!
That ending though... I kinda need book two soon! Or.. you know, now!

I put this book down when I had to work/sleep/eat/be present with my children, OTHERWISE…. This book is all consuming. Seriously, I could.not.stop. The cliffhanger is serious, BUT IT IS SO WORTH IT.

Found family
Enemies to lovers
Greek mythology
STRONG FMC
Morally gray MMC
Dragons (ish?)

“Courage can only exist in the same space that fear does.” UGH. Demaratus!! I love you, you drunken father figure 😆

“When you kiss me, it will be because you choose to, not because I tricked you into it.” Jason… good.ness. I don’t even have the words for you. I went back and forth between reading it for the sisterhood that she made and waiting for Jason to come back to steal my heart.

I’m going to need this made into a special edition. And, I cannot wait for part deux.

This is available on Kindle as a pre-release NOW!! Or everywhere November 1, but really… if you have Amazon, just read it now. Go. Thank me later.

A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson is an exciting romantasy inspired by Greek mythology. The story follows Lia, the princess of Locris, as she competes in a deadly race to break a curse and save her nation. The stakes are high as Lia fights for survival alongside her sister, Quynh, while also being drawn to Jason, a sailor from an enemy nation. The world-building is immersive, and the themes of sisterhood, strength, and resilience are beautifully portrayed. The twists and betrayals in the plot kept me hooked, and the romance added a compelling touch. Though the pacing slows a bit in the middle, the thrilling start and jaw-dropping ending more than make up for it. Sariah Wilson delivers a gripping and emotional adventure that’s hard to put down. Fans of fast-paced fantasy with strong female characters will love this!
Arc review

The world of A TRIBUTE OF FIRE is epic. Lia embarks on a journey to break an ancient curse placed on her homeland. She will travese seas, race against death, beg borrow and steal for the secrets to save her people. There is adventure and intrigue in each turn of the page.

For readers looking for:

Ancient civ & myths
Survival trial
Royal intrigue
Curse breaking
Women with swords
Dream connections
Slooooow burn
Sensual over spicy

*

I liked this book better in the moment, but looking back as a whole I can't pinpoint anything of consequence that actually happened. Much of the story was Lia attempting to gather information to break a curse but these scenes felt episodic and more focused on world building than contributing to character development or plot progression.

Also, I don't think the synopsis accurately prepares you for the book itself. The death race is only the first third of the book. The majority of the book is the main character surviving. I'm not including a spoiler warning when it's not a spoiler. I think the synopsis over emphasizes the race in proportion to it's relevance to the actual content.

Side characters, though very lovely and endearing, are conveniently placed with a built-in directive to assist Lia at all cost with no resistance. While it was heartwarming for Lia to have sisterhood after she experiences so much loss, their unwavering support was a heavy handed means to make Lia's espionage work easier.

The romance between Lia and Jason was a highlight in that it successfully delivers a traditional slow burn. While their attraction is instant and there are many passionate (non explicit) scenes, Lia has so much to consider before giving into the pull she feels to Jason. Sensual dreams makes it harder and harder for her to resist his charms though. The flow between submission amd resistance to the attraction is wonderfully written.

As critical as I may sound, I am still interested in continuing the series. I'd like to see how much of this book affects the potential of the second.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sariah Wilson is a fantastic romance author, but now she's entered the world of Romantasy and she definitely knows what the readers want. Characters that can't decide if they're enemies or lovers, an incredible FMC, a sisterhood of strong AF women, tragedy, anxiety inducing battles, and spice 🙌 I felt every emotion to could possibly imagine while reading this book. The author truly brought me on a journey that I cannot wait to continue. The ending has me screaming for more!

I promise this will be one of your favorite reads of 2024, or ever.

"'It only takes one person to change the world, one person to save a life.'"

"'In the stories, the beasts that must be vanquished are always female. Have you ever wondered why? It is because men have always feared women's destructive potential. Knowledge gives us power. Your power is a threat.'"

This book was this author's first switch from romance to fantasy romance, and while there were aspects I enjoyed, as a lifelong fantasy reader there were also many things that left me wanting.

I loved the premise of the book, with this hunger games style labyrinth race in a Greek-inspired world. And I loved that section, the action scenes were so creative and well-written. However, that sequence is actually about 10% of the book if not less, so I actually wasn't really prepared for the type of book this actually was since I thought that would be the main part of it.

I love Greek mythology, and really enjoyed getting to dive into the story of the Locrian maidens. The Greek influences on the story are nicely done, with the ancient stories having such a big impact on their lives.

I loved the sisterhood between the main character and her group at the temple. Their relationship and support for each other was so sweet, it might have been my favorite part.

My least favorite part was the romance, which surprised me given the author's background. Their relationship was insta-lust and never really moved beyond that. They never really got to know each other, and so when she started wondering if she loved him I had no clue where that was coming from. I'm sure there will eventually be a plot reason for their draw to one another, but I would have liked to see more from their relationship than how hot they both were and how much they wanted to kiss each other.

I also found the plot twists very predictable. I've seen most people raving about those, so that might just come from a difference in reading background and your mileage may vary.

Overall, I thought this was a predictable read with a disappointing romance, but it set up some interesting things. I hope the next book builds on what I loved in this one: the action scenes and the secrets surrounding the goddess and the temple. I think I will continue the series to see where it goes next.

Thanks to the author for the early copy of the book. This review was left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐️ (rounded up). What an absolutely captivating fantasy novel! The world building is so vibrant and detailed. Between the religion, the magic (or questionable lack there of), and the mythology, it is meticulously done and works beautifully together to weave a glorious tapestry. Lia, the FMC, is everything I love in a female main character - head strong, skilled in combat, world weary, and confident.

Highlights:
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Forbidden Love
✨Slow Burn
✨Found Family/Sisterhood
✨Greek Mythology Inspired

Favorite Quotes: "And as soon as I saw his face, my heart whispered, Oh, there you are. I've been waiting for you."

"The code says that there is no honor in a man who rushes to war because he doesn't care if he dies. There is valor in battle for those who desire to live. Courage can only exist in the same space that fear does."

"This was another aspect that had always bothered me. This believe that women were special enough to be pleasing to the goddess, but that we were ultimately easy to discard and unimportant. Strong enough to be slaughtered but not important enough to fight for."

Thank you to the author and Literary Media tours for this advanced copy. My opinions are my own

A very very big thank you netgally for giving me arc of this absolutely wonderful book!!

Whew!!!!! What a book! I must admit I listened more than read and even with the computer voice I still enjoyed A Tribute Of Fire immensely. Lia and Jason is top tier. The chemistry and angst (I thought the poor girl was going to combust), left me grinning like an idiot and stomping my feet. Not to mention the banter and witty retorts. Lia is a complete bad a$$. Strong, determined and ready to sacrifice everything for those she loves, as she loves by the mantra, “One for the many”. Don’t get me started on Jason… he’s just ugh.. my Lord!!

Epic, awesome, fun, unputdownable are just a few words I would use to describe ATOF.

Thank you for sending me an ARC of A Tribute of Fire! It is an honor to have been selected to read this story ahead of time, and I absolutely loved every minute of this read.

This story would be an exceptional read for fans of The Hunger Games meets Greek Mythology. There are also dragons & magical creatures alike wandering throughout this story.

A very long time ago, a Goddess performed a poor act (running away with her lover), and time and time again the nation suffers by famine. However, there is a way to possibly restore the nation to lush and bounty. To make that happen, there is a specific object that a maiden must capture to restore the nation. Unfortunately, the way to make this happen is selecting two maidens to run for their lives through an enemy territory while they are being chased by men whose intentions are to kill them. For hundreds of years, these maidens have unfortunately not made it out alive nor have they found the object.

Our main character, Lia, is unfortunately one of the selected two who must enter the enemy nation to find this object, and her persistence does not go unnoticed.

I will keep this review spoiler free, but I am on the edge of my seat. To say I ate this story up is an absolute understatement. Never have I been so keen to give a book five stars. This story tied in all of my favorite things - hidden magic, forbidden love, sacrifice, betrayal, and more. This story encapsulates sisterhood and womanly love, determination, and selflessness in the purest form.

The end of the story made my mouth hang open, and I had goosebumps all over my body. Thank you again, & I cannot wait for book two to be here already.

I would like to thank Literary Media Tours, Montlake, Netgalley and Sariah Wilson for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Tribute Of Fire is the first book in a brilliant new romantasy duology, The Eye of the Goddess, by Sariah Wilson. This story has a maiden Princess trained to fight in secret. Lia planned to be selected as a tribute for a life and death race through a labyrinth. If able to successfully reach the Temple of The Goddess, she planned to retrieve a relic she believed would lift a curse on her people. Along the way she makes friends and meets a philandering sailor who makes her heart beat triple time. A millennium old hatred for her people makes her role as an acolyte in the service of Goddess fraught with danger and her task was more difficult than she hoped. This was such an amazing book. It bore some slight similarities with other books in this genre, but everything was used in a unique way, which made this an engrossing tale with a slow burn romance, bonds of sisterhood, danger, loss, and a huge surprise ending in a cliffhanger. I cannot wait for book 2! I could not put this book down once I started, and I definitely recommend that readers out there who like The Blood and Ash/Flesh and Fire or Throne of Glass series to give this one a try.

3.5 Stars.


🏛️ The vibes:
- forbidden love
- Strong FMC
- Hidden identities
- Secrets & betrayals
- Closed door

🏛️ My thoughts:
As a fantasy, I think this was enjoyable. I think the bones were there and I loved the premise. With a focus on Lia - I enjoyed her story. I felt so much intensity during the tribute and race. I couldn’t stop reading during that that entire portion. That is where this book shined for me personally. I felt those same chills that Hunger Games gave me during the tribute scenes.

🏛️ I liked the found family aspects that Lia found in her sisterhood throughout her journey. It almost reminded me of Fourth Wing vibes at moments.

🏛️ This book focuses largely on the goddess and the religious elements of all things priestesses, acolytes, and goddess worship, and activities at the temple. I didn’t personally love the spiritual direction that the plot focuses on but I think that’s just because I was so confused about the dreams and the prayers and if the goddess was actually a being or just an idea. I think more answers will come in future books - so I’m cutting some slack on these elements that confused me since this is book 1 in a series.

🏛️ As far as the romance plot, I did not particularly enjoy the romance aspects that were included in this one. I didn’t connect super well with Jason and Lia and it felt like the focus of their connection was solely physical for most of the book with very little else. It wasn’t I til beyond 50% that it was mentioned they had an actual conversation and I was thinking…. Wow this is the first time we’ve gotten a conversation that did not involve them making out. If you are not bothered by relationships like this, I think you’ll really enjoy the romance in this one.

🏛️ With all of that said- while there were a lot of moments that the pacing felt slow for me-the ending being a cliffhanger will have us all crawling back for book 2 because we all need answers at this point!

🏛️ Lastly- I’m joking a little bit, but if I read “Stupid girl” one more time, I might throw hands. 😂🙈.

Note- closed door (lots of making out)
Check CW if you have concerns.
Release date: November 1, 2024. But available on prime now.

Thank you so much to Sariah Wilson and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

*note- posted on bookbub, Instagram (posted on stories on 10/3/24 and saved permanently to my Story Review highlight on my profile) , goodreads, Storygraph, and Amazon. Links provided.

A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson delivers a thrilling adventure with a fierce FMC, cursed nations and a sizzling romance that had me hooked from page one.

Lia, the princess of a doomed desert kingdom, is thrust into a deadly race where survival is far from guaranteed. Every year, her rival nation of Ilion sends two Locrian maidens to compete in a brutal ritual( a life or death race to the temple of a goddess).

No one’s ever made it out alive. This year, Lia’s the one being hunted. But here’s the twist, her untrained sister Quynh is thrown into the fray too.

Suddenly, Lia isn’t just fighting for her life; she’s battling to save her sister in a stranger maze like city where one wrong turn could mean disaster.

Oh, and did I mention there’s a dangerously attractive sailor named Jason? He’s Ilionian (so, you know, technically the enemy), but the tension between him and Lia? FIRE!! Let’s just say I was rooting for them from the start.

Lia’s character is everything you want in a heroine, brave, determined, and just vulnerable enough to feel real. Her love and pain towards Quynh had me teary eyed. (If you read the book, you will know what I mean)

The world building is intense and descriptive, with a cursed nation, superstitious characters and a goddess who looms over every twist and turn.

Sariah Wilson kept me hooked with nonstop action, deep stakes, and just the right amount of sizzling chemistry. The Chemistry between Lia and Jason had me giggling and kicking my feet. I could not help but root for these two.

If you're a fan of high stakes fantasy with a dash of romance, A Tribute of Fire is the book you won't be able to put down. If you are like me, reading into the late night, prepare to lose sleep over this one!

I’ve been trying to find a way to say how much I adored this book for a while, but I still don’t think I can do it justice. This romantasy starts off with a bang and it has a ton of action for being the first in a series. What I originally thought was going to be the plot for the first book ended up being only the first hurdle. It has mythological creatures (dragons, magical wolves, etc), magic, Greek mythology roots, and a great plot. I had inklings for what the big twists were going to be, but I wasn’t mad about it. I was happy the groundwork was laid down for the. Rumba to be found either while you are reading or on the reread. Because I feel like this is one of the few I will reread. I am so invested in this, and I have lost sleep over this book. The characters were well written and have depth. They have sparks flying all over, even when they are told they shouldn’t be together. This does end on a cliffhanger, so I’m going to go play some 90s emo music to deal with my feelings. K thnx byeeeeee

❤️ Tropes ❤️
💋 forbidden romance
💋 strong FMC
💋 touch her and die


Lia has been preparing for this. Over the last year she has been training hard. Her kingdom is dying and she has a plan to fix it. Her dad, the king, may have promised her hand in marriage to a prince from another kingdom, but she is going to find a way to restore her land to greatness. Every year two tributes are sent over to appease a goddess whose temple and priestess was defiled. If these tributes can make it to the temple, once they are inside they are protected and can serve the Goddess. But over the last 1000 years none have made it. Because the men of that country have been commanded to prevent it. But she is going to. But it turns out she isn’t prepared for all the hurdles she will face.

Thank you for the digital ARC Sariah!
I am so in love with this fantastic story, I was gripping my seat in anticipation of what might happen to Lia next.
I read this book in a day, I was hooked after one chapter, and just flew through the rest of the novel , with my adrenaline pumping right alongside our main characters!
I disappeared into this world Sariah has created, and I was so shocked at the end.
I cannot wait for book two to come out next year!

I am truly obsessed! Sariah Wilson writes a magical fantasy story that keeps you captivated from start to end.

Woven with inspiration of greek mythology and fantasy, we get to know Lia, the princess of lorcis of a dying nation and every year, Ilion offers the goddess a sacrific which are two Locrian maidens forced to compete in a life-and-death race to reach her temple and this year Lia is up to play. It's got high tension, mystery, and suspense. Lia faces many challenges throughout the story but she's smart, strong, quick witted and determined to win. She's so brave and cares so much about her Quynh and another thing I loved was getting to know the characters, the lore of the universe, the detailed description that Sariah painted throughout the book and the romance? She did not disappoint. Jason was the perfect main character to lead behind Lia. He was swoony, romantic, and I absolutely loved their dynamic. This book had me turning page after page and I devoured it! That ending had me gasping and shook. There are so many moments filled with high stakes, suspense and action that will keep you entertained for hours while reading. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I have a feeling it's going to be just as epic. I highly recommend this book to read!

This book ENSNARED me from the very first chapter and it never let me go!! Right from the start you can already see how brave and determined Lia is as she trains to compete in the annual tribute game to hopefully find what she needs to lift the goddess’s curse and rid her country of what has been plaguing it for a thousand years. But her early encounter with the enticing sailor Jason proves to be its own challenge.

The flirty interactions between Lia and Jason had me kicking my feet and eating up every interaction between the two of them! Jason is cocky in the yummiest way and it just added to the tension between them. My adrenaline was pumping like crazy during the entire trial and several other scenes where Lia proves how tenacious she is! I loved the world, the pacing, the non-stop action and I went through the entire spectrum of emotions from giddy to crying to rage to shock! There are multiple twists that had me saying “WHAT???” and don’t even get me started on that cliffhanger of an ending! I have zero ideas on how I am supposed to wait to find out what happens next! Trust me you do NOT want to sleep on this one! It was an amazing start to a series and I HIGHLY recommend this one!

Tropes/Things you can expect:
✨ Trials
✨ Found family
✨ Plot twists
✨ Hidden identities
✨ Slow burn
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Strong FMC
✨ Mythology
✨ Dragons
✨ Dream scenes
✨ Dagger to throat

…this did not need to be 500 pages.

i was intrigued by the concept of a tribute of fire—a greek mythology-inspired romantasy about a princess training to compete in a life-or-death race in order to break the ancient curse on her nation—but it just didn’t work for me on so many levels.

it’s a very paint-by-numbers story. popular tropes are popular for a reason, i get it, but if you’re going to lean into predictable plot points to the extent that wilson does, i need something else to carry the story—whether that’s beautiful prose, witty dialogue, or some kind of twist, subversion, commentary, anything. unfortunately, i didn’t get any of that here. the book ends with THREE “shocking” twists and somehow each is more predictable than the last.

then there’s lia. i found her frustrating and difficult to root for. she wants to save her country, but despite her training, she’s quite shortsighted and naive to the potential repercussions if she fails… and she has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer in her “investigation.” she’s also constantly sidetracked by lusting over jason, which would be more understandable if he wasn’t the one carting her and her sister to their (likely) deaths. their chemistry did become more believable about two-thirds of the way through the novel, but by that point i was so irked by her being a horny idiot that i didn’t really care. her saving grace was her relationships with her sisters. i enjoyed their dynamic, bond, and fierce loyalty to each other.

while this book is not for me (obviously), it draws heavily on greek mythology, which i think readers may find appealing, and i appreciated the value placed on lia’s female friendships.

A Tribute of Fire is an absolutely spellbinding story that weaves Greek mythology with elements of The Hunger Games and Reylo into an amazing story that keeps you on your toes. Lia’s dedication to her people and her persistence to survive the labyrinth to reach the Temple of the Goddess, as well as her dedication to her sister Quynh and her sisters at the temple, really cement her as an amazing character. The sisterhood that evolves throughout the book is so refreshing and I can’t wait to see how things change with the twists at the end of the book.

The relationship between Lia and Jason, the Ilionian sailor that helps to bring her to the temple, is a great slow burning enemies to lovers romance. The slow build up of trust as Lia finds her place at the Temple and works to find the solution to help her people makes their story so engaging. The cliffhanger ending will leave you wanting the next story immediately so that you can find out how their relationship will drastically change with the revelations that we’re left with.

Easily one of my top reads this year.

Lia is the princess of a dying nation, cursed long ago by a goddess. To appease the goddess, every year her nation must send two maidens to their enemy nation to run in an impossible race – they must reach the temple of the goddess and claim sanctuary whilst being hunted. Reach the temple and don’t get cut down trying. No maiden has ever made it to the temple. This year, Lia is one of the maidens.

But so is her sister. While Lia is prepared for the race, her sister is not. And as if Lia didn’t have enough on her plate, an annoyingly handsome sailor, Jason, catches her eye. And he happens to be the enemy. Lia must keep herself and her sister alive, lift a curse, restore her nation to glory, and keep Jason at bay. Sounds easy.

I don’t even know where to start with this review, it’s taken a few hours for me to calm down enough to be able to type. This book kept me hooked throughout my entire read, but those last chapters… When I tell you I was screaming for the last 10 minutes of this book – I am not lying. I was genuinely screaming, swearing, gasping – you name it, I was doing it. And my dog, Daisy, went wappy as I did so, and I’m sure she must’ve thought I’d suffered a mental break (which looking back I’m sure I did). My throat still hurts as I type this review, and Daisy is still eyeing me warily.

So what caused this reaction? Well that would be spoilers, but I can set the scene with the lead up. Lia and Jason were such a good pairing. Their chemistry was phenomenal. Jason even had me blushing, so I don’t blame Lia one bit. I found myself constantly craving a scene with the pair. Their back and forth, their sexual tension… Someone get me a spoon because I was eating this up.

The actual story was captivating. There was such a rich background, context, lore – the world building was exceptionally done. The author gave us so much lore and I have a desperate need to know more.

Lia was a fantastic FMC. I just loved her. I might be IN love with her while also wanting to be her. She’s strong, funny, loyal, determined, intelligent. I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs – and I whole heartedly support Lia in whatever she has up her sleeve in the next book.

I’d also like to mention the female relationships represented in this book. Lia makes friends in the Temple and they fast become like sisters. It really warmed my cold heart to see some well written female friendships in a romantasy book, because they are often left out or are lacking substance. I really enjoyed Lia and her friends interactions, I felt that it made Lia more human.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book but I fear that I’ll take up too much of your time when you should be reading it. If you like enemies to lovers, found family, strong FMC’s, and Greek Mythology inspired reads – you need to read this.

Thank you to Literary Media Tours and Sariah for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.