If you are looking for a powerful story with an exceptional FMC, true enemies to lovers, a stunning world full of celtic history and lore, dragons, political intrigue, religious persecution, and more, then you are going to absolutely eat up A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride. This book was fantastic and stirred up so much passion and emotion within me; I feel like this book radicalized me in the best way and I absolutely loved it.

I already knew I was going to fall in love with this story when I read the dedication, which is, "For the little girls who were told to put their fires out. Burn them all to the fucking ground."

This story follows our FMC Aemyra, a fire-wielder who has been hidden away since childhood in preparation of reclaiming her family's throne that was usurped by the current King. The current royal family has brought in what is called the True Religion into their kingdom, which is a patriarchal group dedicated to eradicating magic and oppressing women. The True Religion is a direct contradiction to the traditional faith practiced by Aemyra and her people, as they have historically worshiped Goddesses and revered magic. So, Aemyra and her twin brother Adarian have been hiding away cosplaying as regular people while their birth father has been plotting and gathering troops to one day take back their family's rightful place on the throne.
When the current king dies and Aeymyra believes she will be able to take back what is rightfully hers, things do not go quite as anticipated to say the least, and she finds herself in the midst of a dangerous political game within the enemy's court. Aemyra's biggest issue is Prince Fiorean, a dragon rider and powerful fire-wielder, who seems cruel, arrogant and supportive and defensive of his family. So yes he is literally the embodiment of everything Aemyra hates. A series of unfortunate events cause the pair to form an unwanted, uncomfortable and frankly reluctant alliance, but slowly their feelings begin to change and they realize that the corruption within this family may go even deeper than they anticipated.

The enemies to lovers was executed perfectly and did not feel like insta-love at all, which is extremely appreciated. The relationship felt organic and logical and the tension was so good.
I also want to give a little shoutout for the relationship with the dragons that happens throughout this book as well. I also want to give another shoutout for our FMC, she is gritty, strong, outspoken and passionate, while also being extremely vulnerable and I cannot wait to see where her character goes.

This story covers so many important topics that I am barely scratching the surface of, but I truly was so moved by this story and it brought me to tears multiple times. Books like this are so important especially now and I cannot recommend it enough.

This book took me by surprise. At first I thought it was a slow start, but when I hit the 40% mark it picked up for me. I absolutely loved the Viking lore and the dragons! Two of my favorite things combined and very well done! Aemyra’s character is so strong. The way she cares for the ones she loves, the way she goes after what she wants and believes in, absolutely loved. Book 2 cannot come fast enough, I need more!

Thank you NetGalley and RandomHouse Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

I finished this over a week ago, but I didn't have time to put my thoughts to words until now. I loved this book. I. Loved. This. Book.

It felt like Hazel McBride took me gently by the hands, looked me in the eye and said "I know that what they did to Daenerys Targaryen at the end of season eight broke your heart. I wrote this for you." I couldn't help but message her on Instagram to tell her so. I didn't expect an answer, but that she did answer and let me tell her what this book means to me meant so much. Thank you.

I don't want to have to hide my review for spoilers, so I will attempt to be as spoiler-free as possible. Some very minor ones as far as character development goes ahead, because I wanted to give my perspective on this. There is a lot of talk about this in other reviews, and so I wanted to address it and state my own opinion.

For the first quarter of the book, I struggled with Aemyra. I do not like the mean, Nesta Archeron type characters, and Aemyra fell firmly into that category. I almost stopped reading it, but for the worldbuilding and the magic system, I propelled myself forward and I am so pleased that I did. In reading some reviews on Goodreads after the fact, I've discovered that many people didn't like the book for this reason, but I want to assure anyone who is on the fence about reading this that Aemyra DOES develop. She turns her rage into action and she stops judging other women for being more feminine or strong in a different way. She learns about them and learns to empathize with them and care about them. At the start, she has some pride and also some prejudice (yeah, I did that), but she outgrows them. Hazel McBride does not treat her readers like they are stupid and she shows us this through Aemyra's thoughts and actions rather than tells us outright. It's subtle, but it is there. If you don't give her a chance to develop and you hold onto your perceptions of her from the beginning, it's easy to miss.

But like people, characters deserve a chance to grow up. To learn. To be better. And Aemyra does. I do have some issues with her relationship with her twin. She never really atones for how mean she is to him at the beginning (even though she was aiming to get under a certain prince's skin more than she was aiming to hurt him), but I have hopes that we'll see some of that in book two. I do have TWO gripes, but we'll see if they are resolved by the time the series concludes.

The magic system in this story is amazing. The dragons, guys. THE DRAGONS. The feminine rage. The steamy romance. The matrifocal world. The SCOTLAND OF IT ALL.

I couldn't put this book down and I haven't felt that way about a book in so long. I've literally been shoving it down the throat of everyone I know. EVERYONE READ IT.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide an honest review of A Fate Forged in Fire. I really enjoyed this novel. Characters have so much depth and personality. For lovers of Dragons, House of Dragon, Game of Thrones style books. There was a true enemies to lovers and Celtic lore really made this one unique. Thank you.

I'm calling it quits at 4%.

I loved the opening passage. It confirmed that the MC, Aemyra, is queer right out the gate, which I thought was awesome!

However, shortly after when Aemyra is helping a woman deliver a baby there is a line about how she "felt her soul respond with an echo in the very part of her that understood what it was to be a woman"....I think I understand what the author is going for here but it feels icky to me. Not all women are capable of having children. Not everyone wants children, and not everyone who gives birth is a woman.

I continued reading.

Ameyra is definitely unhappy with her position in life, which is 100% valid, but she then proceeds to make her brother feel like crap for enjoying what he does. This didn't contribute to the dnf it was just annoying.

The final straw was in chapter two when Aemyra is fixing a knight's chain mail that was damaged while out hunting. The MC states that based on the size of the mail, the knight was probably mistaken for a pig.

So yeah, I have no interest in finishing this.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

IT SUCKED ME IN!

Is this the best literature ever written? No. Was it a good story that sucked me in almost instantly? Yes.

The world-building at the beginning of the book is slightly confusing; however, if you read a lot of fantasy, you know that is normal. The plot, though, was great. This book has enemies to lovers, betrayal, dragons, magic, and heartbreak. It's everything you are looking for in a fantasy.

Aemyra was a slight pain in the behind though. I wanted her to be more powerful and more cunning. She got herself into a lot of messes. I need the next book now. I need to know what happens with Fiorean, and if that plot twist at the end was his plan all along. Also, are there more dragons out there?

The writer left us with many unanswered questions and a plot twist we didn't see coming. In my opinion, that is one of the things that makes a great story and makes us want more!

To be completely fair and honest, this book was difficult to get through for the first 65%. Therefore I am struggling to give this the correct star rating. Aemyra is an interesting character to see the world through, due to the fact her personality is quite abrasive at times...maybe obnxoious even? She lacks the grounding that most individuals her age would already have inherited. She attacks the world as if it is her world only and we are only living in it. All in all, this makes it difficult to connect with the main character and continue reading through only her perspective.
The world building in this novel was also quite fast and not as well carried out in my humble opinion. I felt as if names and places were either dropped too casually with no explanation or quite literally too fast for me to notice. I never once felt immersed into the story or connected to any characters. This was an attempt at complex world building with a subplot of romance, that quite literally fell so flat. Moreover, the romance felt very shallow and only backed by lust - no deep connection.
The dragons were a nice touch, but it felt like hitting a box with a check mark to meet cultural trends than to actually add to the story to develop it. This is sadly a book full of tropes, and no actual story.

I LOVEEEE A STRONG FMC!! This world is so vivid and creative, and the characters were so fleshed out and unique. I was confused during some parts and lacked a little bit of backstory around the worldbuilding, like how the magic system or bonding with dragons exactly work, but the vibes were immaculate so I'm not really complaining! Will be reading another Hazel McBride book!

Overall, I just couldn't get into this book. I feel the author had written the same thinfa over again just in different words honestly felt I was in college again reading a classmate's paper. I feel bad because I had such high hopes for this story!!

Fantastic book; the end was a cliffhanger I really did not see coming. I would have loved a little bit more of a buildup in terms of relationship but still very much believed Aemyra and Fiorean had genuine feelings for each other. Thank you for allowing me to read the ARC!

4 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Fate Forged in Fire
By Hazel McBride
Release Date: May 27, 2025

Hidden heir,  Enemies to Lovers, He falls first!
Honestly,  I really enjoyed this book even though the beginning kind of dragged on.  I think the story could have used more showing then telling. At times I felt like it was really predictable. I really did enjoy the story. I can't wait for the next one.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and Netgalley for this E- Arc!
( Will post on Goodreads once it is out)

This took me a little bit to get into but the story absolutely picks up! It does have House of Dragon vibes, so highly recommend if that’s what you’re liking! It was a lot of action, adventure and romance 🔥

Thank you to Random House & NetGalley for this e-ARC.

4.25 stars.

I really enjoyed this first part of a new romantasy duology. This is a Celtic inspired story that succeeded in the way I wished last years A Fate Inked In Blood had achieved. The entire story was plump with action and a quick pace with tons of content - sometimes I felt like there was enough for two books.

Our fmc is engaging, passionate, and tough. The supporting characters had a lot of potential, but werent quite a fleshed out as I had hoped. I especially wanted more of the sibling dynamic between Aemyra and Adarian.

While I really enjoyed the overall story - something was amiss. I think the story could have been fleshed out a tad more. At times I felt like the author was making things too obvious for us, when it would have done better for us to come to that in our own way based on what we see. So I think my main issue with the story is a common issue - telling, instead of showing. Had the author taken a bit more time to include scenes to help show the oppression and the harm that the True Religion was causing, it would have aided to a more well-rounded story. There really was so much content in this novel, that I think slowing it down just a little bit to give some areas more room to breathe would have really benefited the story.

I really did enjoy this story and am looking forward to another one. With that being said, I can see this being lost in the many other dragon romantasy stories being published right now. I’m not quite sure it had the punch it needed to stand out amongst all of the other similar stories.

Game of Thrones meets Fourth Wing in this adrenaline pumping, adventure filled fantasy read.

The FMC was witty, charming, and snarky and had me hooked from the beginning. The clever banter gave the story a crisp edge while brimming with danger and suspense. The world building was immersive involving multiple cities, magical elements, political maneuvering, and creatures. The twists were perfectly executed, and I was left with my jaw on the floor on multiple occasions.

The spice in this book was chef's kiss. The tension and banter made the slow build totally worth the reward. The chemistry was off the charts and while predictable, the spice was well balanced in comparison to the plot.

This was everything I look for in a romantasy. It was gripping, intense, and packed with unforgettable characters! I canNOT wait until the sequel is released!

A kingdom falling to corruption. Dragons, once flourishing, now on the brink of extinction. One Queen prophesied to save them all.

Tir Teine, a kingdom built on matriarchal rule, has been taken over by the True Religion, an oppressive ideology with an anti-magic agenda that will do anything to conquer and destroy.

Aemyra, our FMC, is a 26 year old fire magic wielder born to Bond to a dragon and rule her kingdom. With the True Religion festering in the courts, she was forced to grow up outside her kingdom, plotting her return since infancy. But not everyone inside the castle walls seems to be corrupted by the True Religion, and those trying to get her back on the throne may have ulterior motives. Does Aemyra have what it takes to discern enemy from ally? Or will the kingdom burn along with her?

A Fate Forged in Fire had so much potential, especially the focus on the dangers of patriarchal rule and propaganda. I did enjoy this story, and appreciated the complexity of our FMC Aemyra; she is tough, stubborn, passionate, and deeply cares about those she loves and her kingdom.

Throughout the book, I felt like I was missing something. The themes of oppression and dangers of propaganda felt a little too obvious - rather than showing the dangers, we were told nonstop via the internal monolog of our FMC. Authors need to give more trust to the readers that we'll pick up themes and warnings, rather than repetitively telling us thru dialog.

I also had trouble believing the romantic plot. I just didn't feel the chemistry; it felt incredibly forced and quick to happen, especially given her circumstances.

Overall it was an enjoyable read. I do love the complexity of Aemyra, and the magic system was very interesting. The last 20% has plenty of plot twists that will leave you wanting more.

A Fate Forged in Fire is on the precipice of being something incredible. With some fine tuning on pacing, developing characters / their relationships, and showing vs. telling, it could truly be a masterpiece.

3.5☆ overall

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for an opportunity to read and review A Fate Forged in Fire

Five-Stars for a Fate Forged in Fire!

In this story our heroine, Aemyra, has grown up having to keep her powers and heritage a secret. But, when the king dies, she comes out of the shadows to take the throne that is rightfully hers. This book was captivating and truly un-put-downable. It had all the components of my favorite fantasy stories-- dragons, magic, kingdom politics-- what's not to love. The ending had me spinning so many theories and even though this book doesn't come out for another couple months, I can't wait for book 2!

Good book.. loved the characters and story line. I enjoyed reading it. I would recommend this to other readers.

Since I have been loving the Fourth Wing series, I thought...do I really need to read another "girl and her dragon" set of book?

The answer is duh, of course... sign me up for ALL the dragons!

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. However, you can see the dragon bond from a mile away, when there is a great data dump about this terrifying, illusive dragon no one has ever seen. NO ONE CAN TAME IT! (Ok. Settle down, we get it.) But once we get that out of the way, this book cruises along at a quick pace.

I am seeing reviews from some people who hated the central love story. But that wasn't true for me though. It's dysfunctional, but I actually thought they had some great natural chemistry that popped off the page and the love scenes were well-choreographed. You can kind of see the ending coming for these two as well, but it still is a nice set up for a second book.

I also liked that we had both battle scenes and "chilling as a kinda-prisoner at court" scenes. These seem nicely balanced and made the book flow well. Loved that this book was based around Celtic Mythology and that it is feminist AF. I know some people don't love Aemyra, but I found her interesting and can see that there will be room for her to grow--and to grow up--in future installments

Trigger warning: this book has a sexual assault scene. It makes sense in the context of the story and the act is interrupted, but it was still really hard to read.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

OH. MY. GOD GUYS

This book will be PERFECT for any of you who are going to fall into the Onyx Storm hangover- Dragons. Magic. TRUEEE enemies to lovers. Political Intrigue. Plot twists you’ll never see coming. Hazel did a phenomenal job with her worldbuilding throughout this book, painting vivid pictures every step of Aemyra’s journey. Plan your time off for May 27th because you’ll want to devour this in one sitting ❤️‍🔥

I struggled with the main character & the pacing of the story.
I did enjoy the story, but I also never felt the urge to pick it back up after putting it down.
I am curious about the next book, but not enough to read it.