This is a wonderfully written fantasy romance steeped in Greek mythology and lore. Part of the story is based on Ajax’s nation, Locris, and the maidens cursed to suffer for his actions. Lia is a strong FMC who is willing to do whatever it takes to save her nation. Although the romance is focused around Lia and Jason, there were so many supporting characters that I adored and am invested in their stories in coming books. The plot is intricate and kept me on my toes as there are several twists throughout the story, including a double-whammy at the end that left my mouth gaping and not believing this is where the book ended. I am eagerly awaiting the next book!

Audiobook: The narrator did an excellent job bringing the story, especially Lia’s inner thoughts, to life. She also did a great job with voicing all of the characters enough to distinguish between them.

Read this if you love: enemies to lovers, slow burn romance, death trials, found family/sisterhood, mythology

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book, and to Brilliance audio and Netgalley for the audiobook. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

That cliff hanger, geez I need the next book now. I enjoyed the way the author Wove together Greek mythology, a woman with a mission, romance and female empowerment to make a great Romantasy. The beginning was a bit slow for me but once it picked up I couldn’t put it down. The plot kept me reading, and I enjoyed the found family aspect and the whole can she trust feelings twords basically everyone which was reinforced by the shocker plot twists in the book. If you like a Romantasy with a woman who must save her world, can kick butt and an instant connection romance this book is one to pick up.

I really enjoyed this story! With the audiobook pacing really allowing me to soak it all in!

The tropes are awesome! Greek Mythology, Enemies to Lovers, Slow burn and all the best banter. Loved the strength of the MC and all the mysteries kept me guessing! Love the found family aspect but absolutely died when one of my favourite characters passed.

Sometimes the pacing is a little slow so have deducted a star for that

I found it challenging to settle into this book, which isn’t uncommon for fantasy reads, but the insta-love trope really didn’t work for me. It dampened the story and made the female main character (FMC) feel unlikable and frustrating.

On a positive note, the audiobook narration was fantastic! The flow of the narration was smooth, allowing the story to unfold well. The emotional delivery was compelling, and the male voices were particularly well done, adding depth to the characters.

The pacing felt a bit off to me, the plot dragged on at times with too much inner dialogue from the FMC, leading to moments of boredom. The last 100 pages were a welcome change, filled with good twists, but I wished we had reached that point much sooner.

The premise held great promise, especially the trial aspect, but it was only given a handful of chapters. This undercut its importance and the sense of danger. I did enjoy the found family theme and the priestess/temple storyline—it would have been great to see more of that.

Unfortunately, the romantic element fell flat for me. I found it frustrating that the FMC's thoughts often centered around kissing, even during serious events.

I wanted to love this book, but the elements I didn’t enjoy ultimately outweighed the positives.

“𝓦𝓱𝔂 𝓭𝓸𝓮𝓼 𝓴𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓼𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭𝓹𝓵𝓪𝔂?”

📖 🔥A Tribute of Fire 🔥
🧚🏻‍♀️ Sariah Wilson
📚 The Eye of the Goddess #1

I had the utmost pleasure of receiving the ARC and the ALC of this beautiful book with the following INCREDIBLE tropes :

🔥 Romantasy
🗡️ Enemies-to-lovers
🔥 Slow burn & Banter
🗡️ De@dly Trial
🔥 Morally Grey Swoonworthy MMC
🗡️ Fierce Sassy Maiden FMC
🔥 Forbidden Romance
🗡️ Found Family
🔥 Goddesses
🗡️ Betrayals and Heartbreaks
🔥 Mythical Creatures
🗡️Cliffhanger!!!


I was hooked from the very start !!!
It has everything you love and need in a romantasy, b@da$$ FMC , Swoonworthy MMC, spicy dreams , hot hot hot scenes, and with the most BEAUUUUTIFUL Found Family!!!

The writing and the plot is awe-inspiring and the narration is absolutely BREATHTAKING!!

Be ready for a emotional rollercoaster and a staggering ending !!
I don't know HOW I'll await book 2 🥹🥹


Thank you so much author, Netgalley and the publishers for this amazing ARC in exchange for an honest review 💜

This is my second read through of A Tribute of Fire and it just gets better every time. The audio version of this was amazing. It is very well written and narrated. It is easy to follow along and you get absolutely immersed into the world.

A Tribute of Fire by Sariah Wilson is the first book of The Eye of the Goddess series. This is such a great romantasy read! I often struggle to follow the world building in fantasy books, but Sariah so beautifully weaved this world and the character development was top notch. There are tie ins to Greek mythology, a trial in which the FMC is a tribute for her nation, curses, and a nice little forbidden romance slow burn to top it all off! I was hooked from the start and cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to read the remainder of this series.

Thank you, Sariah Wilson and Tales and Teacups PR for the ALC of this book! The opinions posted are my own.

4.5 stars: This book was jam-packed with excitement and intrigue, and the plot moved quickly. The story has ancient mythology influences and Hunger Games/Fourth Wing vibes while maintaining its own identity. Read when you want a fantasy book where the world building isn’t too intense, there is a slow-burn romantic element, and a found family worth fighting for. The narrator did an excellent job reading with emotion and really added to the experience!

A Tribute of Fire is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year and the audiobook added so much to the story!
I listened to this while reading the ARC and it was such a great experience.

The FMC, Lia is a survivor who’s ready to sacrifice herself for her nation and those she loves. The plot was really intriguing with the Greek mythology elements and the Goddess and her mysterious motives. And that reveal and cliffhanger at the end?

One thing is for sure, I’ll be impatiently waiting for the sequel to drop out!

Thank you so much NetGalley, the author, Brilliance publishing and Tales and Teacups for this ALC!!!

This book is incredible! Romantasy in its finest! I loved the voices the narrator used and loved it even after I had already read the whole book! You will not regret regret the time spent enjoying the world that this author creates! Not to mention the emotional connection the characters have with each other! Remarkable!!! Enjoy!

This book had a very interesting plot, and I enjoyed the writing. However, it didn’t keep me as invested as I’d hoped. Still, I think a lot of fantasy readers would really enjoy the story.

Am I…. A fantasy girl now…?

This was so so good! I absolutely loved it and was so invested in this story! It’s action packed, full of secrets, and has a really interesting romance that I am excited to see where it goes!! I cannot wait for book 2 to release because that cliff hanger had my jaw on the FLOOR!! Thank you so much to the author and netgalley for the e-arc and audio copy!

I’m still speechless. This is one of my favorite reads of the year. Stop what you’re doing and read this book!

There is not a page of this book that didn’t have action, toe curling kisses, sisterhood, or one twist after another. I gasped out loud so many times, my husband kept asking me what was wrong.

Lea is amazing. She epitomizes strong, determined loyal women. There were so many characters that stood out, I could go on and on. One in particular I won’t mention but wow.

The history of the Goddess and the lands were fascinating and the author does an excellent job of introducing the back story and legends. I was instantly captured by this book. And now the agonizing countdown for book two starts.

I also listened to the audio and the narrator, Therese Plummer, was amazing. The emotion of the characters and situations came through perfectly with her voice.

I received an eARC from the author, and a NetGalley link for the audio. I also bought a copy from First Reads. All views are my own.

A Tribute of Fire by @sariahwilsonauthor

This book immediately hooked me in and I couldn’t put it down. I finished this book in 24 hours and couldn’t stop thinking about it in the in between when real life got in the way. You all know by now that I basically NEED an audiobook while I read, and this was perfect because I needed to listen while I drove, cooked, even brushing my teeth. I was hooked and I loved the audiobook — I think the narrator did a great job!

“Every year, Ilion offers the goddess a sacrifice: two Locrian maidens forced to compete in a life-and-death race to reach her temple. In a millennium, no maiden has made it out of Ilion alive. This year, Lia is one of the hunted.”

Yes. Please! This was action packed, with a great story line and beautiful, tension filled, forbidden love, slow burn romance! The twists and turns that led to that cliff hanger…?!? Ok I need book 2 NOW.

If you like:
✨Romantasy
💋Strong FMC
☠️Life and Death Race
🚫Forbidden Love
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🗡️Honor and Duty
🔥Slow Burn
🏛️Greek Mythology

Pick up this book NOW! You’ll thank me later 💋

#bookreview #bookreviewer #arc #advancedreaderscopy #advancedlistenercopy #alc #audiobook #atributeoffire #fantasy #romantasy #romantasybooks #fantasybooks #bookstagram #booklover #bookaddict
54m

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💭 My Thoughts: Throughout the entirety of this audiobook, I was completely captivated! I am a mood reader at heart but no other book had my attention during this audiobook. The narrator Thérèse Plummer @plummertherese did an amazing job! Usually I get a little bothered during different character’s dialogue but I barely noticed this time. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance.
The female empowerment and rage was so expressive in this book, I felt every emotion of the fmc Lia. She fought so hard and cared for everyone so deeply. It was a constant battle of trust and physical determination. Not many would have worked as hard as Lia, but she was doing this for the good of her family and her people. I tried so hard to predict what was going to happen and the plot twist and the ending had me flabbergasted! Wow. Not what I was expecting but an amazing turn of events. If you enjoy lots of action, goddesses, mythical creatures, female empowerment and a crazy good cliff hanging ending, I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to Tales and Teacups for the ALC. I really loved the way the narrator was able to capture the emotions of the fmc and the story. It kept me pressing play and turning pages.

This is a fast-paced greek inspired romantasy. The FMC is a princess who wants to free her nation from a goddess curse, and in order to do that, she has to compete in a trial and make it to the goddess temple for sanctuary however, no one from her nation has survived in over a millennium. Honestly, her character went through so much. I remember thinking "when is she going to catch a break?!"

The middle was a little slower, but it focused a lot on her female friendships and sisterhood, which I loved so much!

The romance was a very slow burn but also a little insta love. I'm not sure how else to explain it. They were instantly drawn to each other, but their relationship developed very slowly. I loved their back and forth banter! I really enjoyed the MMC. He was giving Flynn Rider vibes.

I feel like I knew where the story was going but also was still shocked with how things unfolded. There were definitely some pieces of foreshadowing sprinkled in there. I'm hoping to see some growth from Lia. It does seem like her experiences will help shape and develop her character in the next book. I will definitely be picking it up to find out what happens next!

I definitely recommend if you love:

-hidden identities
-slow burn
-found family/sisterhood
-high stakes trials
-stabby fmc
-banter
-dragons/mythical creatures

Overall I give it 4.5⭐️

Theresa did an aboslutely incredible job in the narration of this book. I couldn't stop listening.
Her character voices were easy to decipher, her emotion was captivating and empowering. It was a great audiobook to listen to, one of the best solo narrations I have listened to in a while.

The immaculate storytelling in this book is amazing! I am a lover of anything in the realm of historical cultures, especially when the mythology is intertwined, and Sariah did not let me down.
Lia is a princess of Locris, which is a nation cursed by the Goddess after an ancestor did the unthinkable to a woman seeking sanctuary. Knowing her fate to marry a prince of a land she hates; she seeks to find a way to restore her kingdom to its former glory no matter the cost… which is why when she is chosen alongside her sister as tribute. Everything changes.
There were sections of this book where my heart was in my throat, not only from the incredible action sequences which were fast-paced, and descriptive but also more relatable than most. But also, the raw emotion. It was hard to catch your breath during those scenes.
If you love a bit of romance, this book still has the romance aspect. The tension, the banter, and the forbidden aspect. Which was great.
I did find that the more descriptive, story-weaving parts of the story had enough happening to keep me engaged. It was in the little details and comparisons, one that stuck with me was between the Goddess of the Earth and the Saviour being the person that brings new life. I learnt that most monsters in mythology were female, which was a connection I hadn’t put together before. The ‘never again’ scene in the gymnasium, an Antipode being an absolute monster (in a great way).
I adore Lia’s character, and I cannot wait for the rest of the series.

This story and these characters are amazing. Sariah Wilson has outdone herself as she weaves the tale of Princess Thalia (Lia), sacrificing her safety for the good of her country and future. "One for many."

The world building in this book is spectacular, and is written in such a way that readers can absorb it without being overwhelmed. It's interwoven into the individual story of Lia's adventures and is totally captivating. The relationships between characters is wonderfully done and leaves readers invested in everyone.

There is non-stop action and mystery that keeps the story moving along as well. Readers won't want to put the book down, I know I didn't! To top it off we get a sweet but intense new love brewing when the unexpected Jason catches Lia's heart before she realizes she even wants to give it away.

The audiobook version has spectacular narration that is easy to listen to and keeps listeners engaged.

If you love a fascinating fantasy with mystery, romance, adventure, and a strong female main character, get this book!!

Spice level: 🌶️(1/5)

I was so excited to read Sariah's first romantasy book. I adored the strong woman main character energy. She had a sword and knew how to use it in a world that wanted to take its vengeance out on her. Through her eyes we see all that she's sacrificed and would be willing to for the sake of her family and country. The book also has found family, sacrifice, steam and forced proximity. I can't say more because *spoilers*, but I have so many more questions than I have answers.

A Tribute of Fire had me reeling with its unexpected plot twists! I’m usually pretty good at guessing where a story is headed, but this book kept me on my toes right until the end. Just when I thought I had it figured out, it threw in surprises that left me genuinely shocked. The cliffhanger ending was the ultimate twist, leaving me with so many questions that I cannot wait for book two to answer.

If you’re looking for a fantasy romance that will keep you guessing, this one is an absolute must-read! Therese Plummer was spectacular. Her performance with different tones for different voices helped me fly through this book. I couldn't put it down. Thank you to Sariah, Literary Media Tours, Netgalley & Brilliance Audio for my Advanced Reader Copy.

I really enjoyed the fantasy elements in this book, though I found the romance a bit underwhelming—surprising, given Sariah Wilson’s background in contemporary romance. It’s something I’ve noticed with authors transitioning to romantasy; finding the right balance between fantasy and romance often leads to rushed or underdeveloped relationships.

The world-building sucked me in. I’m fully invested in the goddess storyline, especially with the hints that something isn’t right with the priestesses, which will definitely draw me back for the next book.

The strongest bonds in this story are the friendships and family connections. Despite limited time with Lia’s family, their closeness and support shine through. In the latter half of the book, we get to see Lia form a strong friendship with her group of acolytes that makes you invested in the story.

As for the romance, the insta-lust didn’t quite work for me. If this attraction had evolved into genuine feelings in a more tangible way, I’d be more on board. Jason and Lia don’t spend enough time really getting to know each other—we’re told they connect in dreams but only see them kissing. Actual scenes of them talking or sharing moments in these dreams would have made the romance feel more authentic. I’m hoping the second book gives them more time together, allowing their connection to grow in a believable way.

Rating: 4.75 stars rounded up to a deserved 5!

Read if you like: The Bridge Kingdom, A Fate Inked in Blood, Throne of Glass, The Prison Healer Series!

Thank you to the author for providing the audio ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I truly enjoyed this read! Although it’s an adult novel, the writing style reminds me of some of my favourite YA.

The story unfolds in an ancient world with Greek mythology influences, specifically a retelling of the distant aftermath of the sacking of Athena’s temple during the Trojan War. At its heart is Lia, a fierce heroine is on a mission to save her nation. The author has crafted a well-rounded protagonist who possesses depth and flaws, making it easy to root for her throughout.

Without giving too much away, here are some themes and tropes you can expect:

- Enemies to lovers (though not in the pure sense)
- Found family
- Sisterhood and female empowerment
- Mini trials and challenges
- A badass FMC

The pacing was well-balanced, with a steady flow of events that made the world feel authentic and immersive. It’s evident that the author has done thorough research, and as a lover of ancient history, I particularly appreciated the references to the hetairai and the subtle nods to mythology.

I deducted 0.25 of a star because the romance at the start didn’t quite resonate with me; however, it grew more compelling as the story unfolded, and the cliffhanger was especially scream worthy.

Overall, this book is perfect for fans of mythology retellings who seek a strong, believable FMC and a cast of supporting characters that truly engage the reader. Trial is one of my most underrated reads of 2024, and I’m eagerly anticipating Book 2!