I had some very mixed feelings with this book. In the first half, I was really struggling to continue with the story but the latter part of the story was very compelling.

✔ I really enjoyed the portrayal of the MMC - he could be strong without always being the “dominant” character at any given moment.
✔ Aemyra had some really good character growth in this story - she’s come a long way from where she started at the beginning of the book.
✔ The ending!

✖ The pacing was really awkward and to some degree; the characters seemed like they were making impulsive decisions out of nowhere. There was not enough time at court for some of Aemyra’s choices to ring true to her characterization. The romance also felt rushed at times.
✖ For all this talk about female empowerment, there appears to be very little of it, which could be a commentary on the themes of the story in general, but was very hard to read. Insulting women’s choices while also wanting women to be free to make their own choices is a bit inconsistent.
✖ Aemyra struggles to win any of her battles - it’s one thing to struggle to succeed but it’s very hard to support a main character when she makes some really baffling decisions this frequently.

3/5 stars.

Overall, I wanted a bit more out of this story than I got but will most likely still read the sequel in the hopes of more of the improvements I started to see near the ending of the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review is based on the ARC of this book.
While I read a lot of high fantasy and love a book with a strong fiery FMC and dragons - the amount of Gaelic and Gaelic inspired words threw me.

There were sentences where every third word was something I had to stop and process to recall if it was a person, place or thing. All of the names, locations and more are given Gaelic inspired names and with similar spelling between version ones as well as pronunciation differences this was a genuinely difficult read for me, even with decades of reading intense fantasy. I love a Scottish tale with some sprinkled in…this was heavy on the sprinkles.

The pacing was also something that didn’t draw me in as much as I tend to feel pulled and excited to read a fantasy book with high stakes. I can’t place my finger on why-it just didn’t draw me in as much as I typically experience.

The FMC is strong, fiery, fierce and unwavering.
The twist at the end was not necessarily predictable but also not a shock, if that makes sense. It was disappointing for the MC’s but also brings angst to deal with in future books if this is a series.
For those who care: the spicy scenes were well written!

This was.. fine? I liked the second half much better than the first. The fast-pacing and constant name dropping with no background made it hard to follow. SO much happens in a 416 page book that we didn’t get enough development on anything. Aemyra was all tell and no show… I just didn’t find her believable. I had fun at times and the ending was pretty good but idk, I’ll probably forget most of it fairly quickly.

Thank you Delacorte Press for the e-arc!

Overall, I think this is a 4.5 read for me. This was great mix of Game of Thrones style political intrigue, well written battle sequences that immerse you in the story, and exceptional banter and wit that reminded me of some of my favorite classical literature. This book does what a lot of books in this genre fail to do, and that is to make every page count (props to the editor). I’m never left with that book bloat. It all feels very intentional, with enough meat left to pick at theories of where this story will go.

Read if you:
- Love Daenerys Targaryen, and are still mad at Game of Thrones, Season 8
- Love an Enemies to Lovers plot line (with a little sprinkle of dark romance spice)
- Want to contemplate the horrors women suffer under the patriarchy

Don’t Read If You:
- Cannot handle forced bodily manipulation, that is all I will say on that.
- Have a heart condition that does not handle the anxiety of not knowing what will happen next
- Admire Harrison Butker’s personal beliefs

I wish I had better news on my reading experience with this book, but it wasn't for me. I love a good fantasy romance, but it felt a little too much like it was trying to capitalize on the popularity of Female rage/Dragon tropes that are everywhere lately, The world building was so complicated and the names hard to interpret. The politics were too much for me. I will say I thought the author did flesh out the characters well and they did have arcs and personalities, but its the story that I just didn't mesh with.

Don't let me stop you, if you love fourth wing and House of dragons you'll likely enjoy this book. Beware though, it ends in a doozy of a cliffy!

In A Fate Forged in Fire, Hazel McBride crafts an enthralling tale of ambition, magic, and unexpected love in a richly imagined Celtic-inspired fantasy world. Aemyra, a powerful blacksmith blessed with fire magic, is determined to reclaim her rightful place as queen in Tìr Teine, a land struggling under the oppressive rule of the True Religion and a line of ineffective kings. As the last remaining remnant of a once-matriarchal society, she has spent years in hiding, waiting for the current king's death to claim her throne and bond with his dragon.
However, when the king dies, Aemyra’s well-laid plans quickly unravel, thrusting her into a treacherous world of court politics and deception. Her most formidable adversary turns out to be Prince Fiorean, a dragon rider from the ruling family, whose cold demeanor and unwavering loyalty to his corrupt lineage challenge everything Aemyra stands for. Despite their animosity, a chaotic series of events forces them into an uneasy alliance, igniting a connection that neither anticipated.
As Aemyra navigates the dangers of court intrigue while grappling with her growing feelings for Fiorean, she uncovers the deep-rooted corruption that threatens not only her kingdom but also the very ideals she holds dear. A Fate Forged in Fire is a gripping beginning to a sizzling duology, blending romance and fantasy in an adventure where sacrifice and courage are tested. This captivating story promises to engage readers with its rich characters and thrilling stakes, making it a must-read for fans of fantasy romance.

Oh my god. The way this book has me in a chokehold.
A Fate Forged in Fire is an Adult Epic Fantasy about a woman fire-summoner (called a Deulach) in a world where an oppressive anti-women, anti-magic religion is growing. Aemyra (the protagonist) is the rightful heir to the throne according to the territory’s ancient laws and must usurp the throne from a maddening King.

A great concept, an in execution, had its strengths and weaknesses. Lets start with the neutral, as an epic fantasy, the beginning is a sipper, no matter how fast I wanted to read this book, I was forced to swallow my low reading speed pride in order to properly understand the story. This is important, sip the beginning. Don’t chug.

Now for the strengths: the angst, the banter/dialogue, the spice, the twists on tropes were all fantastically written. Hazel McBride truly pulled me into a Romantasy 2nd act, and I gobbled it up. The way I shipped the MC and love interest so hard… my heart still aches. As a reader, I was truly drawn into the emotions of Aemyra and her pain became my pain.

Now for the weaknesses, I’ll be honest, I think the line editing could have used another pass. The flow wasn’t right in some parts. I had to reread several sentences and some words were overused. In terms of the characters, I was SCREAMING, at Aemyra to stop being an idiot so many times, like it got a bit infuriating. I also wish I saw more good reasons that she should be queen other than ancient rules that the current rulers were no longer following. Between her being impulsive and demonstrating only minor improvement in intelligence through the story, I began to wonder if she would even make a good Queen. Like the current ruler is crazy, but why Aemyra?

All that being said, even though I didn’t connect with her in the beginning, I found myself coming back to the story, excited to see who she would become. And the changes she did experience to her character were worth the head shaking moments.

Overall, I haven’t read a story that gripped me this much in a long time, and I’m already telling my book buddies to preorder it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC A Fate Forged in Fire, it was truly a delight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press/Random House Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Aemyra is the true female heir to Tir Teine, a once matriarchal society who is now ruled by kings influenced by True Religion, a group who is anti-magic and oppressive towards women. Her plan to take back her rightful place as queen is thwarted by the previous king’s sons, their mother, and the True Religion leaders. I really would have enjoyed this one more if the FMC wasn’t so irritating in so many ways. She is surprised when not everyone immediately backs her to be queen when she reveals herself early on in the book, makes stupid decisions then wonders why stupid things happen after those decisions, and weirdly seems to get over her grief of lost loved ones pretty quickly. She reads as a very immature character who doesn’t seem to gain any lessons of value from her previous mistakes. Overall 3/5 stars because I was intrigued enough to be interested in picking up the next book after the cliffhanger ending. Despite my personal dislikes, I would recommend giving it a try if you like romantasy, dragons, and enemies-to-lovers.

**Features:**
- Enemies to lover and marriage of convenience romance
- Political intrigue and dragons in a Celtic-inspired fantasy world
- Hidden heir

**Synopsis:**

Aemyra knows that she is destined to be queen and her desire to take the throne that is rightfully hers makes it harder to stay hidden each day that passes. But timing is everything. As soon as the king passes, Aemyra will finally reveal herself and solidify her position by bonding his dragon. But when the moment finally comes, Aemyra finds far more than she bargained for in the royal court. In order to survive the political chaos, she finds herself in a tenuous alliance with one of the biggest threats to her rule, Prince Fiorean. However, even their alliance still might not be enough to save the country from the corruption that threatens to tear it apart.

**Thoughts:**

This book has a little bit of everything I love in a fantasy and I was definitely here for it! Dragons, magic, and political intrigue with an enemies to lovers arc thrown in as well. It was refreshing to see a character like Aemyra who doesn’t shy away from their ‘destined’ role or try to stay hidden until the situation forces them out. It was even better to see that same character frequently and epically falter because of this same hubris. Though I found Aemyra annoying at times and a little slow to grow, Fiorean helped bring more balance and her antics never got in the way of the political drama unfolding. The romance between Aemyra and Fiorean is a slow but satisfying burn that felt right for the situation.

It took me a while to get a good grasp on this world as a whole, but I was instantly intrigued by what it had to offer. This is a Celtic inspired fantasy world where individuals with magical talent can enhance their abilities by bonding with dragons and other mythical creatures. What was an early selling point for me however was the inclusion of followers of the True Religion and how their patriarchal, anti-magic preaching is taking over this once matriarchal world. The way the followers are introduced and the many ways they seek to spread their influence feels very true to history in general and really works in this context. Though it is clear this story took a lot of inspiration from House of the Dragon, it offers some unique world building and ultimately forges its own identity. I definitely recommend this one but readers beware: it ends with a cliffhanger.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was allowed to read this book early and I'm so glad I did!

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It felt a little choppy at first, kind of bouncing around during the world building. About halfway through though it seems to find its stride and picks up. I do wish there was a bit more of the enemies before lovers but I still think the author did well not falling into the trap of "insta-lust". There is definite hatred between the FMC and MMC throughout the book.

I love seeing a different style of dragon bond written in this book than what has been in recent ones. An almost innate connection that doesn't require words between dragon and rider. The magical system is also interesting with the different religions thrown in and conflicts between them. It's also nice to have a FMC who isn't amazing at everything and has her own major faults. She's reckless and arrogant and a little naive and her growth throughout the book is well-paced.

The ENDING though. I'm actually angry because now I have to wait even longer for the next book since this one technically isn't even out yet. That cliffhanger and the twist at the end had me wishing the next one was already on my kindle. I'm very excited to see where this story goes.

Thank you for the eARC! I was really excited to read this book because of it's focus on Celtic lore/mythology, dragons, enemies to loves and a strong FMC. Overall I have mixed feelings on the book. I found it harder to get into the plot than I expected. I also think pacing would fluctuate between being fine and then feeling off. I also think the romance didn't really grab me as to their connection. But overall, there's politics, religion, action, romance/spice, and magic. It does feel very game of thrones/house of dragons reminiscent. Which i think is a different take on fantasy romance than most of what has been published recently. Hopefully since as the story progresses in the next book, things will be feel better fleshed out with the writing, pacing, and plot.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review!

Hell. Yes.

As someone who loved Throne of Glass because of Celaena Sardothien and her sass, I knew this book would be a good one right away. Aemyra is a brat, she is sass, she is a fire breathing bitch Queen, and she knows it and owns it. And I love her for it. Damn does it feel good to read FMCs who don’t give a fuck about what others think about their attitudes.

I love the Celtic vibes of the world, even when it did get hard to read sometimes. I’m not super new to Gaelic, but it is vastly different to English and the other Latin-based languages that I am more familiar with as a scientist. I also love the wide use of redheads in the cast of characters, a bias as I am a redhead with Celtic blood.

I understand a lot of the wariness that critics have with this book. However, I enjoyed the banter, the setting, and the majority of the plot. Was it perfect? No. But most Romantasy isn’t. At the end of the day, it’s a solid piece for the genre and one I will gladly add to my shelf when it’s released.

*Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride is an absolute page-turner! The characters are compelling, with depth and emotion that pulls you right into their world. The plot is developed well and I really enjoyed the magic system and the world-building that never felt rushed. I thought that the pacing was perfect and honestly never had a really dull moment! If you’re a fan of fantasy with slow-burn romance and high-stakes action, this book is a must-read. Highly recommend!

*This review was posted to my GoodReads account (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/150495613-matthew-gold) and will hopefully be on instagram in the coming weeks (@goldreads13)

To say I am so disappointed is an understatement - this literally had all of the elements I love in a fantasy novel, but it did not get executed and was just another rudimentary romantasy story.

I absolutely adored the beginning, felt the weaving of the world building was interesting. I loved the Celtic lore, the feel of House of The Dragons type theme going, and elemental magic.


The world-building felt both overcrowded and empty—there were too many elements crammed in without proper development, which created plot holes.

It felt like the author was throwing in concepts for the sake of complexity, but without grounding them in the story’s logic or lore.

At the same time, the pacing was so underwhelming that it felt like nothing meaningful was happening.


This is also one of the worst MFC I have read, and I am sorry, I don't wanna rip this to shreds, but she was a bully, condescending, and not at all the type of female character I would support.


Thank you Netgalley and the publishing company for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Fate Forged in Fire Hazel McBride

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing for this ARC!

This one was hard! I was really into it up and until about 50%, it was a five-star read, but unfortunately, it slowly started to lose steam from there for me.

Let me start on a positive note: I appreciated the LGBTQ representation, the Celtic-inspired names and phrases McBride used, the world building and the dragons. This novel has strong Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon vibes with its family politics and, of course, dragons.

I’m not bothered by a main character who makes mistakes or isn't immediately likable, because growth usually comes from those mistakes. (Nesta fan here! 😂) But honestly, I didn’t feel like Aemyra grew much at all. She made mistakes because she didn’t know much about court politics, which was expected. However, by the end of the book, there wasn’t much sign of personal growth. Plus, I’m a weenie—I struggle to stick with a book when it just keeps getting worse without any uplifting moments in between. I really needed Aemyra to have more wins 😭 Since AFFIF is a duology, though, maybe the point is that we’ll see her triumph in the second book.

Fiorean and Aemyra’s enemies-to-lovers arc could have been better for me, but I’m pretty sure they’re related, which was hard to ignore. 😂 Also, the things that made them into enemies in the first place didn’t seem like something you could just brush off.

It has tons of potential, but I feel like the execution was a bit off. Despite all of this, I’m still open to reading the second book- I want Aemyra to grow and thrive!

4.5⭐️

I’m calling it now- this will be the romantasy of the summer.

A Fate Forged in Fire throws a lot of the typical romantasy tropes on its head which is so refreshing after reading the same 10 tropes over and over. The politics are intriguing, and the political scheming across all of the characters are what really sets AFFIF a part from similar books in the genre. We get human politics and a smidge of dragon politics- what more could you ask for?! And in addition to the politics, there’s an underlying mystery of trying to figure out who’s poisoning children.

At no point did I correctly guess where the plot was going, and even after finishing the book the only characters I trust are the twins. Everyone else has their own selfish reasonings for their actions, and I predict a lot of political upheaval in the next book.

AFFIF is my favorite type of romantasy- fantasy first, romance a subplot. Yes, it’s a subplot to forward along the main plot, but the romance is not the main focus of the entire story, which I have a hard time finding in the genre.

Also I loved how progressive the book was- an openly bi FMC, gay characters galore, and a character with they/them pronouns, and there was no grandiose explanation for any of those things, they just were. No questions, just statements of facts.

I cannot wait for this to come out to see everyone’s theories on what is going on!!

Overall, this was an enjoyable fantasy. Even with me being an avid fantasy reader, I will say the first third of the book was a little confusing with the wild building and name dropping but it became easier later on. I can definitely see why others compared it to the House of Dragons. Aemrya was a bit of a complicated FMC for me, because while I love feminine rage, she wasn’t my favorite 😅 the enemies to lovers became lovers pretty quick, which I don’t mind but I always love some more buildup. You can tell Hazel put a lot of research in to traditions and lore for this which helped a lot with authenticity. Overall an enjoyable read for fantasy fans and dragon lovers.

It took me a while to get into this one with the world building and trying to get used to the Gaelic. But I was invested around the 40% mark. This reminds me so much of House of Dragon. Even the brothers remind me of Aegon and Aemond. I loved the banter between the FMC and MMC. I wish we go to see more of the dragons and their bonds, but the times we did I was obsessed. I loved Terrea, especially when she was around Adarian lol! I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book after that cliffhanger!! I had a feeling what would happen though!

Tropes:
💍Marriage of Convenience
🗡️Enemies to Lovers
❤️‍🔥Slow Burn
🐉Dragon Riders

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. The only reason I give this 4 stars is because it took me a little longer to get into than I would like, and I also felt like some of it was too close to HOTD.

Was able to read this ARC and really enjoyed the story!
Aemyra is fated to be queen and through a carefully laid plan she waits years to execute she finally puts it into motion. What is consistent in this book is that no laid plan ever goes accordingly and she is challenged by a bit of a quick temper and her inexperience strategizing against masters of manipulation and schemes in her rise to be queen.
She reminded me of Sansa and Game of Thrones and yes there are dragons!

This story had twists and turns and kept you on your toes through the original play for power through the last pages. Not sure if this will be a duology or series but you definitely are wishing for more at the end of the book!

BOOK RELEASES May 27, 2025!

This story is pure feminine rage and I am here for it! It pits centuries of matriarchal rule and prosperity against growing religious fervor that subjugates women. Sound familiar? It’s no surprise this story pulled me in from the start, eager to watch Aemyra burn it all down.

There’s dragons, magic based on the elements, an enemies-to-lovers romance, and a story infused with Celtic mythology. Aemyra might be the true queen, but it’s immediately clear she has no idea what she’s doing. She’s fierce, determined, and wants a better life for her people. The banter between her and Fiorean was top-notch and I lived for their fight scenes almost as much as their romantic ones. They both struggle with what they believe to be right and are fiercely loyal to their families. The final pages of this story are full of unexpected, heartbreaking twists and I eagerly await steamy and stunning conclusion!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dell Romance, and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.