This was an immensely fun adventure! I thought the plot and characters were so outrageously enticing that I had a hard time putting it down. Buuuuuuut, I had a really hard time with the writing. At times, there were holes in the story and editing mistakes that could’ve been easily fixed. I’m not sure if it happened in the transition/shortening of the book from indie to traditionally published. There were also what felt like copy cat moments and phrases from other really well know books. These things kept it from being a 5 star read for me!

Still enjoyed it! Will post review & link when it’s up.

3.5 ⭐

This book was good in the way that CW DC shows were good; a little cheesy, a tad predictable, and aggravating writing, but ultimately very entertaining.

There were parts of this I really liked but not enough to make me overlook the things I didn't. The main dislike is the writing style. It felt very clunky and confusing, I think maybe we were going for a reveal where the reader doesn't know what is happening until it's happening (a la Throne of Glass style) but most of the time it felt me confused and still with so many questions. There were so many choices the main characters were making that felt stupid and bad but in the end worked out for them, seemed like things were going way too easily so many times and left me waiting for the other shoe to drop, once again confused when it didn't. This left the story feeling slightly Wattpad-esque.

This includes Cayden and his territorial tendencies. He had so many good lines and the banter between him and Elowen was actually very good!! But there were so many moments when his "uncontrollable desire" for her should've ruined the mission and then just... didn't? The man really faced like zero consequences the whole book and did whatever tf he wanted. He was giving Xaden Riorson but without honor.

Things I did like were the dragons! I know a lot of reviews have said they weren't a part of the story as much as you'd think for a "dragon book" but I think that makes sense for the story since they're not physically there for most of the book and even once they're there, the romance being the main focus wasn't surprising. I do think they'll be involved more in future books which is exciting. Also, the little found family was also A+, I love each member of their little gang (Finnian <3).

The romance, while a little trope heavy, was hot and had a nice build with the typical "dark grumpy man who has a soft spot for her falls hard and convinces the stubborn fmc that they have more than just lust and should be together" I eat that shit up every time. I also did really love that the spice was very well done and didn't take over the story in a way tropey books like this usually do! Oh also the scene were they torture someone together was way darker than I thought this book was going to get but it only lasted one chapter.

Bonuses:
- reluctant allies to lovers
- anxiety and panic attack rep
- fmc reads smutty romance
- princess x bodyguard
- daenerys targaryen type fmc
- period cramp rep
- stabby princess full of revenge

Ultimately, I didn't love this as much as I thought I would but I was entertained enough that I will be continuing the series.

**Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Random House Publishing for the arc!**

Dragons? Check. Badass FMC? Check. Morally grey MMC who would burn the world down for her? CHECK.
This book is classic Romantasy, and I’m here for it. The unique take on the dragon bond was a nice touch. Sprinkling in some found family and a one bed trope were great choices. I can see why this book was picked up for grad publishing, and is a great indie debut by a first time author.

“Careful, angel. You give a man a taste of salvation, and he might keep coming back for more.”

Read if you like:
⚔️ Partners in crime MC’s
⚔️ Forbidden love/Reluctant allies to lovers
⚔️ Found Family
⚔️ Heists & Quests & Brewing War
⚔️ Dragons
⚔️ Stabby cinnamon roll FMC x Sarcastic & Lethal MMC that’s only soft for her
⚔️ Spice, banter, and tension

In May, I posted a review on this book stating it was a favorite book of the year. SO imagine my excitement when I was gifted a NetGalley ARC of the traditionally published version!

With the help of the commander from an enemy kingdom’s army, we follow an exiled princess who aims to liberate her imprisoned dragons. Along the way, we are immersed in heists, quests, and one of the best found family dynamics I’ve ever read. The strong and stabby dynamics of our heroine, the sarcastic wit and only has eyes for her vibes from our hero. The forbidden love, the quick banter, the well written dialogue and pacing. I loved everything.

Fear the Flames is truly a comfort read for me. I adore these characters. What a wonderful time it was to relive my favorite moments, experience new character scenes, and find the joy this book made me feel as a reader once again. My kindle version is highlighted to the max, and I can't wait to annotate my physical copy when it arrives.

Happy Pub Day to Olivia Rose Darling on the traditional publishing of Fear the Flames! I can't wait to see what comes next!

Thank you NetGalley my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Romantasy at its finest!! There’s spice, tension, warring kingdoms, and of course, dragons! The plot moves at a quick pace that makes Fear the Flames feel like an addictive read. I could not put it down! Highly recommend to readers that love Game of Thrones, Fourth Wing and TOG!

Thank you again to NetGalley and Random House for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

Thank you to the Author Olivia, Random Housing publishing group and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts are mine and mine alone.

If youre looking for a new Romantasy that sucks you in from the start look no further! This book was easily a 5 star read from me! From the start its filled with action, adventure, romance, enemies to lovers, drama....you name it, this book has it. The story follows Elowen, a princess whos only goal in life is to get her dragons back, Cayden, all he wants is to just take down Elowens fathers kingdom. Together these two combine forces and set for on an exciting adventure.

Cayden and Elowen have my whole heart. I havent loved a book couple so much in a long time, Cayden is simply perfection wrapped into a swoon worthy MMC. Elowen is such a strong FMC, from princess turn prisoner turned runaway. What she has gone through in life and what she made out of herself you cant just help but root for her and love her, These two together though, my gosh swoon. The banter and sassiness between them is simply chefs kiss. I was craving more and more from them after each chapter.

I also love the platonic male/female friendship, and just the overall band of friendship. It brought a whole other level to this book that it truly needed. The character growth, the plot, the twists and turns it was all amazing. The world building was phenomenal, and it is a long book but the pace is perfect and you just dont realize how long or much you read because this book will not let you go. Oliva writes it to the point you feel as if you are in the book with the characters living their lives. I felt like this had a great ending and i CANNOT wait until book two gets released.

Do i recommend this book? Yes, yes, YES.

I got this as an ad and I'm just not. interested. While I read A LOT of fantasy sometimes I just have a hard time with it.

I fell in love with this book. Elizabeth took many previous reviews to heart with this updated and newly published version.

Elements of the book had some definite Game of Thrones / Daenerys vibes, but that did not detract from the story at all. Following Elowen’s journey from exiled ‘lost’ princess (and Queen of her new, hidden kingdom) to finding allies willing to help her rescue her imprisoned dragons and topple her father’s kingdom was a fun and exciting read. She’s a flawed character, but her development throughout the story is evident and well-rounded.

The sibling friendship between Elowen and Finnian was a wonderful element to the story, and it was amazing to see such a friendship translate that well onto the page. Their scenes together are a great reminder of what friendship should be.

I wasn’t sure how to feel about Cayden at first, but his banter with Elowen was fantastic, and I really enjoyed their scenes. His gruff exterior and marshmallow interior is classic romantasy MMC, and he had some great sarcastic lines. The inevitable enemies to lovers happened, though they weren’t really enemies to begin with, but the back and forth and adventure leading up to them finally giving in was the loveliest of semi-slow burns. With quite the payoff!

Saskia and Ryder are one of the best sibling duos that I’ve seen in a while, and it was a nice treat to see how all five of them played off of one another while simultaneously trying to save the world! Well, no, the kingdom(s).

Meeting the puppy-dog dragons was a highlight, and each one had it’s own distinct personality.
I would have liked to see more world-building, but hopefully a second book will continue to build and give more insight to the various kingdoms (and magic).

Thank you to Elizabeth for gifting me an eARC of this book!

Scenes are a bit choppy, writing style needs a bit of work to smooth it out. For example, they would go from sitting to walking with no mention of them standing and staring to walk. I’ll be honest, I did not see that ending coming.

This book was a really enjoyable read. The story picks up quickly and never really falls into a lull. I did find myself wishing there was a bit more detail in some areas, as I felt the world-building was a bit too brief, but overall, I really liked the plot and the characters. And the dragons…who doesn’t love dragons??

The angst and the chemistry was palpable between our two MCs from the jump, and I enjoyed the banter and threats between them while they fought their feelings. Both characters are morally grey, and our FMC is full of rage - rightfully so - brought together by the revenge that fuels them both.

This is the first in a series, so there is a bit of a cliffhanger, but it’s not crazy or earth-shattering. Nothing that will leave screaming and rocking back and forth for days afterward. That said, I will definitely be reading the second book when it comes out, and can’t wait to see where the story goes!

Definitely recommend for fans of dragons, morally grey characters, magic, feminine rage, and found family.

I loved this world so much! The female main character was such a powerful character and the writing was so immersive that I came to love the characters so quickly. I have been on such a dragon kick and this book just increased my love even more. This book as had all of my favorite tropes, including one bed, touch her and I’ll kill you and more. The author also did an amazing job at tackling some very serious topics such as personal growth and mental health, among others. I loved all the relationships, romantic and friendships. But I couldn’t get enough of this book and I can’t wait for the next one in the series.

The main lead demonstrates that she can stand on her own without relying on others yet the romantic male lead complements her character beautifully. Rather than overshadowing her, he enriches the story with his own compelling narrative and personal growth. Their dynamic is both authentic and heartwarming, showcasing a partnership where both characters contribute equally to the relationship's development.

Daring's writing skillfully intertwines action, romance, and character development, making "Fear the Flames" a must-read for fans of strong heroines and well-rounded romantic leads.

🚨 Woot woot! Five stars alert! 🚨

Ok romantasy friends I got a GOOD one for y’all! I’m feeling a lot of feelings. All good feelings. Great feelings actually. Because I am truly OBSESSED. And the fact that we’re going to have to wait so long for a sequel to this is actually devastating. I’m not at all shocked by the fact that this book was picked up. It has clearly been a secret gem in the indie romantasy community and I am very certain this book is gonna become extremely popular after its rerelease.

My enemy’s enemy is my ally. Our mc Elowen is a runaway princess living in exile from her cruel father. But she wants her throne back and the best person to help her is the Commander of her father’s enemy’s army. Cue our tall, dark, morally grey, and handsome mmc Cayden (swoon).

Elowen is literal perfection. She was everything we loved in Aelin, Danerys, Jude, Bryce, Violet; just all wrapped in one. PERFECTION. I loved her so much. Her character had me completely captivated. But ok, I do have ONE complaint… I DESPERATELY wish this was dual pov. Cayden was fantastic and absolute book boyfriend material perfection. I just NEED to know his secrets! I LOVED their relationship so so much. They were so perfect and piney and the slow burn of their relationship was literal torture.

Along with the stellar main characters, there was just so much to enjoy about this story. Banter: GOLD. Chemistry: absolute perfection. Found family: freaking phenomenal. Finn is the most perfect best friend sidekick I swear. This is a really good freaking plot too. Elowen is such a badass and throw DRAGONS into the mix and yall have a perfect woman-scorned fantasy tale. I just love love loved this book so much!

I’m absolutely gutted to have to wait to continue this series. But honestly this is one of those books that I WILL definitely be recommending for awhile.

“You would start a war for one woman?”
“You should be terrified of what I’ll do for her”

Dragons, found family, and romance? I immediately made this a most anticipated release. I was so excited when I received an ARC. A princess turned prisoner and her morally grey bodyguard. I loved this plot! There is so much adventure with this one. The found family was so well written that I’ve come to love so many of characters.

✨Elowen is our strong and stabby princess. She is always willing to put her people before herself. I loved the moments we got of her unhinged, and I would hate to be her enemy. She is very protective of those she cares for and would defend them with her life. I loved that she was a book girly.

✨Cayden is our lethal and morally grey mmc. There isn’t much known when it comes to him. He’s a secret, but what people do know causes them to fear him. Like Elowen, he is very protective of those he cares about. He gives “touch her and die” vibes for Elowen, and literally does just that.

“I’ve always been yours, even if you weren’t mine. There are no stipulations to the power you have on me. Even if you despise me, you’ll always have me.”

✨Elowen and Cayden had such great banter and tension that I found myself giggling. Elowen literally held a knife to his throat. We love that lol. I loved watching them go from reluctant allies to lovers. This one is a slow burn but once the spice hits it’s burninggg.

Fear the Flames has:
💚 Reluctant allies to lovers
🐉 Dragons
⚔️ Touch her and die
📚 Found family
🪵 Heists
🖤 Morally grey mmc
🗡️ Stabby fmc
🔥 Slow burn
🥀 Prophecies
💚 Magic

Thank you @itslivdarling and @dellromance for this ARC!! 🫶🏼

Absolutely loved this story! It had all my favorite tropes found in a fantasy romance. Found family, slow burn, one bed, he falls first, political intrigue, fierce fmc, swoon worthy mmc, banter, magic, dragons!, and more. Love it! And now I can't wait to see where this story goes.

This series has sooooo much potential, I can feel it in my bones! I just wish the pacing was better because I found myself incredibly bored for the first half of the book, and I feel as though nothing significant happened until the last 20% of the book. I must say, though, I am once again madly in love with the scar-faced, dark, handsome, broody commander that is the actual touch her, and you die, MMC lol. I also love the found family in this story, but I am a sucker for a found family trope. Add a heist and some dragons; the potential is there; you can practically taste it. I hope the series delivers. I'm very interested in what happens next!

Holy shit.

This scratched every book itch that I have had all year. This might be my top book for the year, I loved it. I haven't marked up a book this much since Fourth Wing and I couldn't put it down.
Elowen was such a great FMC with no annoying tendencies. I didn't have to look past her sabotaging herself and her relationships, or hear self deprecating comments while needing reassurances from the MMC all the time. I loved her attitude and her power. She did have real life feelings though, but I love how she handles her anxiety and how she used it to empower herself.
Cayden is a perfect specimen of a man in a fantasy book. The banter from the beginning!! It was spot on and made me blush all over in the best ways. He became the best ally to best friend to lover. It went a bit fast paced at times, but also just right. The spice was the perfect amount of spicy and the dirty talk was *whew*.
I am the biggest fan of the friend groups in books. This one had a lot of people to it so at times it felt like it was a stretch to call them a found family with how little we seemed to know about them all, but you can see where it will be one day. I like that her best friend is a male and how he encourages her with no romance or love triangle.
The only thing that bugged me was the repeat phrases from other popular books. There were quite a few that were direct copy and paste (kneeling before you....), but they were used in a good context in a way that it flowed, but still kind of bugged me how many there were.

Overall, I seriously loved this and I can't wait to get a physical copy!

I absolutely LOVED this book. It has everything you could possibly want in a romantasy. The world building was well done, the characters are likable, the plot was great and the pace was top-notch. You’ll feel like you’re escaping reality while reading because you will truly feel immersed in this world.

Elowen and Cayden were legit perfection, their banter and chemistry was everything. Elowen was a straight up badass for all that she endured. Plus she has not one, not two but FIVE dragons. Cayden gets all the stars and hearts from me. I legit swooned every time he spoke- straight up babe.

I could honestly go on and on about this book. Do yourself a favor and read it, you won’t be sorry.

Princess. Prisoner. Runaway. Queen.

Elowen Atarah, a princess born with a link to five dragons which should have been a blessing to her kingdom;however, her blessing quickly became her curse. A little girl tortured and bound escapes and becomes a queen ready for revenge. When she inadvertently meets Commander Cayden Veles of Vareveth, her father’s enemy kingdom, he offers her a deal to finally be reunited with her dragons. The pair of them, along with three friends,hope to pull off the greatest heist their world has ever known, all while navigating their relationships and politics.

I loved this book! When I wasn't reading I was thinking about the characters. Already want a reread and I can't wait for book 2. The chemistry! The banter! The friendship with Finnian! The characters are relatable flawed. Cayden moves towards the top of book boyfriends. His banter, and how he looks after Elowan. Chef's kiss.

Now by no means is this book perfect. I did struggle with the world building. There are several kingdoms. What is the politics in each kingdom? What is the history of the kingdoms and what are the relationships between the kingdoms? Why are we warring? I love that there are dragons but what purpose they serve. I also need more dragons!!!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and eagerly await book 2. If you enjoy found family, good banter, and a slowish burn read this book!

A very large thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

This story is fantastic!! I absolutely adored the characters, the dragons, and the tension between Elowen and Cayden.

I only have a few pieces of feedback.

At the beginning of this book, the FMC feels very naive and almost altruistic. I say this because she is very sheltered and loving of her friends, uncle, and people, and because she is almost blindly trusting the MMC. That is fine, but later in the book we learn that she is an assassin and exceptional fighter even though she spends no time on page fighting or training and can sneak in and out of a hidden city that to most is impenetrable and she does this frequently. We also find out later that she is morally grey which doesn't fit with her character from the beginning of the book.

I guess ultimately my question would be, what is the FMC’s motivation? Yes, she wants her dragons, but what else? She doesn't care about her homeland's people, at least not enough to take back her kingdom and rule as the rightful heir, even though they have been under the boot of a tyrant who kept her dragons locked up for years. She doesn't want to go back to her current kingdom, but she is going to rule this new one she just gained in the next book? Yes, she has her dragons in the end, but what else is she looking to accomplish?

Also, the scene in the brothel was very spicy and it was very well written, but it was a little jarring as the reader to go from spice to torture with nothing in between. This book overall is not dark so I say that to say maybe there could be darker elements in the next book.

Would love to see more of Ryder, I felt like we didn't get enough dialogue or moments to understand who he is. Is he funny, charming, witty, etc… we don't know.

A map of this world would be extremely helpful if the book doesn't already have one.

I say all of this not to criticize harshly, but so that these gaps can be remedied in the next book. These are easily covered in the next book with more training scenes, an explanation of why her character feels somewhat naive, or even some more darker elements. Even though I had questions in the end, I did truly enjoy this book. I actually devoured it. I will most definitely recommend this book and cannot wait for the next in this series!!

See my online review below:

Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling is everything you want in a Romantasy book!!

🖋️Review
This book had ALL my favorite fantasy romance tropes. I loved the angsty slow burn, found family, and DRAGONS! Our FMC, Elowen, is a princess in hiding while our MMC, Cayden, is a fearsome commander to an enemy army.

This book is long, but I read it in no time. We jump right into the plot which I loved and the pacing was quick and this was overall easy to read. There were so many lovable characters and the twist at the end!! 🤯 I cannot wait for book two!!

This book is a must-read for those that love a stabby FMC, dragons, a swoon-worthy MMC, and fantasy Romance in general.

Read if you love: A Dawn Of Onyx, ACOTAR, TOG, or A Kingdom of Crows.