Thank you netgalley for giving me a copy of this story for my review. I was so excited the first 20% or so of this book and then it quickly fell off for me. The insta-attraction/flirting pulled me from the story and I was never able to fully get back into it. The smut was fun. There was more gore than expected from the vibe of the rest of the story, so take from that what you will. I was really interested in the premise but unfortunately the story just fell flat. I couldn't keep the different characters straight and I ended up skimming the last 40% just to finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f romantasy
-dragons
-enemies to lovers
-roadtrip
-found family

This was the propulsive read I needed. A fiesty heroine, a morally grey hero, and a rag tag group all with a prophecy. I had such a great time with this one.

Thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review
This was one of my most anticipated (re)releases of the year and I just wish I had been in a bigger fantasy mood cause I know I would have enjoyed this EVEN more. if you liked six of crows I think you might like this (totally different books but we get the friend group and the heist type of situation)
The romance was SO good! Found family always does it for me, and this did not disappoint The ending left me so excited for the next book, I need it right now. The vibes are there and I can't wait

Princess Elowen has been on the run since she was a child. There was a prophecy said her soul is forged flames and that bonded her to five dragons. And that she would either destroy her kingdom or bring it glory. After her dragons defended her they were taken away. One night she had to flee her kingdom but knew she would one day come back to take what is hers.

I knew from the prologue I was going to love this book. The pacing in this book is so good. I was hooked from the very beginning. Cayden is going to be everyone’s new favorite book boyfriend. El is such a strong FMC and I love the banter between her and Cayden. This book has everything to make it the next big romantasy series. I’m so glad it’s being rereleased or I may have missed out on this series. I can’t wait for the next book to see what happens next!!

Thank you so much for the ARC of Fear the Flames! I was lucky enough to read the previous version published by the author, and I am so thrilled to say that I love it even more than I loved it the first time I read it! The characters now have more room to grow and I found their development as both themselves and in the bonds they make with other characters to be even more believable. The biggest improvement I found was in the story of the dragons. They now take a more primary role, you learn about each of them earlier on and you are able to build a level of care that was lacking in the first edition. The romance, the dialogue, the world-building — all of it leaves you wanting more, more, more. I simply cannot wait for book two!

Fear The Flames by @olivia
Publish Date: 9/17/2024

♾️/5

The fact that I was able to deep dive back into the world of Elowen and her dragons has me in tears. This is by far one of my absolute favorite books of all times. I loved Fear The Flames when it was first published and have been following Olivia from the start. This new version though? Gold. Breathtaking. Magnificent. I honestly can’t get enough and I soaked it all in, deep into my soul. I love it even more and I wasn’t sure that would be possible.

The new scenes, the dragons, the TENSION/spice and more of Cayden and his backstory had me up reading late into the night. I didn’t want it to end. My romantasy loving heart is literally swooning right now! I laughed out loud, I cried and I clapped like a crazy person. ❤️

I love Elowen and her fierce, loving, selfless heart. She’s such an incredible character and i’ve loved reading about her journey, growth and pure bad assery 😂
”I am Elowen Atarah, and nobody will put me in a cage again —not my mind nor anything else.”

I love Cayden and his dark side but also the light he brings to the story.
He’s such an intense character and he loves so deeply.

"But if you allow me, I'll find a way to help you carry them when they get too heavy." 🥹

Also, the fact that he’s literally obsessed with Elowen has me giggling like a fool!

“I’ll find a way to gift you the stars if you wish for them. You can have anything you want, love.”

The brother/sister bond between Elowen and Finnian has always been one of my favorite parts about this book and I love the family they found with Cayden, Ryder and Saskia. The growth between the characters was amazing to read.

And let’s not forget the incredible ending that not only SHOUTS power but sets us up for the next book. I am so excited to continue on this journey and read the rest of this series. Thank you Olivia for bringing this world to life.

Now, “Bow before your queen or burn and bleed.”

Love, K & B

Posted on instagram and goodreads

I loved every second of this book! Elowen and Cayden's relationship was perfect and I love how the balanced each other. They are both dark and twisty and matched the other's darkness. I though the world building was great, the spice was fantastic, and I LOVE how the book ended. I cannot wait for book 2.

I have such a soft spot for this book. I love the characters. I originally read this book when it was indie published, so i was stoked to get the ARC of the trad-pub version to see what changed. Needless to say, this book still has a hold on my heart

This is my review of the traditionally published version of fear the flames

I previously read the indi version last year and LOVED it! The traditional version was even better and I didn’t think it could get better!!

Cayden will become your next book boyfriend, he is written perfectly and has so many demons, but the way he treated elowen is nothing short of heartbreaking romance. I loved his story and background, mostly how he first met elowen 😭
‘I’ve never been a religious man, but I will worship you in ways the gods will envy’

Elowen is a complex character who I loved so much, her journey from being an imprisoned princess to a bad ass self sufficient queen is laced throughout the book and she only gets better. Her 5 dragons that she is bonded to are taken away from her at a young age and her family imprison her and her dragons and often torture her, it was really distressing to read about the child abuse she entailed but she gets her revenge. Her relationship with finnian really gave me the feels, the way they both helped heal parts of each other was so beautiful. I love the found family aspect of this book so much and I feel it’s only going to get better with the later books.

They’re both morally grey, they’ve both killed to survive, they’ve both struggled through life and both have the same goals. I love this couple so much, the way the relationship is written is absolute perfection. This book gives serious acomaf vibes!!! I ate UP the spice, they were written so bloody good!!! This man’s mouth is pure filth and he can command me any day 💁🏼‍♀️

You’ve got alllll the good tropes in this fantasy romance

One bed
Found family
Secret kingdom
Stabby fmc
Kneeling
Alchemist?
Spicyyyyy 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ (I was elated extra spicy scenes were added)
He falls first
Filthy mouth
He buys her romance books
He also buys her pastries and they share 😭
Dragons that act like dogs 😭


The ending had me feeling a lot of things, and left a lot of unanswered questions which I cannot wait to dive straight into in the next book. This author is going to blow up, Olivia has a beautiful way of writing and world building and I can’t get enough! Thank you so, so much for the arc copy, I will treasure it forever ♥️

‘You have never feared the flames, queen of fire, but others will fear yours’

I read the indie version last year… and fell in love with this book. Honestly… this book is one of the indie books that started my love for indie books/authors and why I now read and promote ARCs!

I absolutely loved the new republished story! I love that there are more dragons and I LOVE that the fire and banter between Elowen and Cayden remained and improved! I seriously love this world so much and cannot wait to continue in it!

You will absolutely fall in love with this magical world and each of the characters. The five friends create such an amazing family - you will absolutely adore each of them and their personalities & antics. This book has action, love, politics, and so much more!

I will say… there are a couple of things that did not make the cut in the republished book and I’m a little sad about it but overall - still a 5 star read for me and one of my favorites!!!

I know dragon books are so popular right now. I was hesitant to pick this up, but I am so glad I did. I absolutely loved the world, the banter between all of the characters, and if course the dragons. For reasons you will learn our FMC is sent to prison with her dragons at a young age. As she gets older she has one thing on her mind, revenge. Our MMC Cayden is doing e he can to stop an impending war. The side characters were amazing and so well written it was hard to choose who was my favorite. I really hope the author continues to write more stories told from this world.

This one is hard for me to rate. If I were to rate it solely on the banter, chemistry and romance between the main characters it would be a 5 star read for me. I LOVED them. The story itself was just okay for me. I had trouble with the pacing. Overall, I think it’s a fun read and will appeal to a lot of “romantasy” readers.

"Fear the Flames” by Olivia Darling was everything I had heard about it and more! Since falling down the dragon hoard hole, I’ve been devouring any and all dragon books I could get my hands on. Many were good but I was still missing my next dragon read that would give me the same high that the Empyrean series did. Enter “Fear the Flames.”

This book had it all - an exiled princess seeking revenge against her cruel childhood abusers, a dragon heist, a steamy romance with banter that had me laughing out loud, and found family that was pulling on heartstrings.

The relationships in the book were expertly crafted. I loved that Elowen had a platonic best friend who supported her through every step of her journey. Her friendships with Ryder and Saskia are fundamental to her after having been alone both during her imprisonment and after as she forged a name for herself in her new kingdom. And then there’s Cayden - our morally gray MMC. He’s possessive, commanding, and has some beef with Elowen - so there’s this love/hate aspect of their romance, even though she’s really given no precedent for why there’s strife between them. But the banter! Elowen and Cayden’s quick-witted, snarky banter made the book!

I devoured this book in one sitting - I absolutely LOVED it! I am so excited for the sequel and can’t wait to see where it takes Elowen and her dragons.

I am so grateful that I received this book to read.
I love a great fantasy, a great fantasy book to me is one that makes you feel like you’re watching a movie while reading it.
Where you get so attached to characters you feel anxiety in your belly not wanting anything bad to happen to them.
This story has enemies to lovers, cute flirty banter, action filled battle scenes, a strong FMC, magic, political angst and DRAGONS … everything you could ever want in a fantasy.

At Princess Elowen’s birth she was gifted 5 dragon eggs, a bond was forged and the eggs hatched.
I won’t give spoilers but at a young age she ends up being separated from them and kept in a dungeon where she is beaten and tortured by her father.
She escapes but can’t take her dragons, Fear the Flames details her journey to rescue them and get vengeance on her father and the kingdom that brutalized her and held her hostage.

This book lured me in more and more each chapter. Fantastic characters I am obsessed with all five of the main found family characters. So many twist, turns, and heart wrenching scenes. I am already anxiously awaiting the next book.
You can tell the amount of work that went into crafting and editing the story to bring it all together.

Fear the Flame by Olivia Rose Darling. Found Family, Dragons, and strong FMC.

I rated this 4.25 stars.

This was the first book that I read at the start of the year and it truly was a great way to kick off 2024. I am so excited to see that it is going to be republished and I was able to get the ARC of it! The new version seemed more complete and detailed. Was so excited to dive back into this fantasy world.

Would definitely recommend to other fantasy readers who are looking for another world to immerse themselves into. Only wish the second one was coming out sooner!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Where do I even start?! I didn’t think I could love this book more than when I read the Indie version.

Dragons, Princess x Bodyguard, touch her & die, found family AND romance. SIGN ME.

Elowen is so unapologetic and fearless and stops at nothing to get back what was taken from her. Pair that with the ruthless Commander Cayden Veles, they are unstoppable.

The tension between Elowen and Cayden was unmatched, their witty banter and the lengths they went to protect and care for one another was perfect.

Elowen and Finn, their relationship was so wholesome and authentic. I loved seeing them grow into the people they were meant to be.

The build up to that ending hit me just as hard as the first time, I was on the edge of my seat with all these new additions to the story that only made me fall in love with everything and everyone all over again.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024 & it was AMAZING.

The tension.

The dragons.

The Commander.

Swoon.

I couldn’t put this one down!

I really enjoyed this book overall. I loved the action and fast pace. And honestly anything dragons immediately makes me want to read it. I loved the premise and how our main character came to be. She is strong, intelligent, and not afraid to take charge. I think the characters were the best part of this book! After that ending I’m super curious about what will come next!

I enjoyed this a lot! The characters were well written and the story line was exciting! I was easily wrapped up into the world and it was an easy read.