This is up there with many of the other dragon books I have read this year. Aemyra is such a strong female character who stands strong for what she believes in even though losing so much. The world building is great as well as the political aspects which plays a big part of the story/plot. Also need enjoyed the cliffhanger of an ending. Can't wait to see when this story goes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with this ARC.

Despite being right up my alley, A Fate Forged in Fire somehow completely escaped my radar, but when I found out about this book centering on the lost female heir to the throne in a matriarchal society with the worship of goddesses as the main religion, I was immediately interested. Learning that A Fate Forged in Fire also included dragons, I knew I had to read it. The novel is incredibly fast paced and I never wanted to put it down. I even managed to read it in two days, which is practically unheard of for me this year.

I quickly realized that A Fate Forged in Fire is definitely inspired by House of the Dragon. I love House of the Dragon and the Targaryens are by far my favorite house, so I ate this novel right up. Like House of the Dragon, A Fate Forged in Fire features two branches of a family fighting over the throne and for the very soul of the kingdom. The royal family is definitely inspired by Targaryens, except they have bright red hair instead of silver to identify them to the world as part of the Daercathian clan. And instead of commanding their dragons in Old Valyrian, they use a Gaelic-inspired language.

“Do not forsake the Goddesses! One day a true queen will rise and usher in a new age of prosperity for us and for the dragons.”*

The novel itself reads more like a teen soap opera version of the show with a Rhaenyra type character named Amerya, as the female lead and with an Aemond inspired character, called Fiorean, as the male lead. It’s blindingly apparent where the inspiration comes from in other side characters too, with the mother of the princes behaving a lot like Alicent, and the Aemond character having an older, incompetent brother a lot like Aegon. Despite being far more young adult coded, there is spice in the novel, so I would say it falls more under the “new adult” category.

I was really surprised and somewhat skeptical that the Aemyra’s love interest was the Aemond inspired character, Fiorean. Admittedly, this feels a lot less problematic than Rhaenyra’s actual romance with her literal uncle in House of the Dragon. I am pretty picky when it comes to enemies to lovers and think it’s a really tricky trope to pull off, as it requires such a delicate balance between the enemies part, the reluctant attraction, the transition, and then the eventual romantic relationship. So I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the enemies to lovers romance in A Fate Forged in Fire.

I think the novel handled the process pretty well, despite not quite being on the level of The Jasad Heir, which has set the standard for me for this particular trope. Anyways, I loved that their relationship was a slow burn, which I think is absolutely necessary for this kind of relationship to be realistic in any way. I found the evolving relationship between Aemyra and Fioran compelling, even if the transition was a little sudden for my taste. However, I wasn't a fan that this novel, much like others in the genre, such as The Hurricane Wars, really pushed the whole, “we can never be together,” angle, when truly a simple seduction or marriage would solve almost all the political problems. It just strikes me as unrealistic, especially in a matriarchal society that nobody thinks to use their feminine wiles for the benefit of the realm.

“
A blacksmith could take a tumble in the sheets with a rival, but a queen could never take her enemy to bed.”


Surprisingly, I struggled much more with Aemyra’s characterization than the enemies to lovers romance. I’ll be blunt—Aemyra is so stupid that most readers, like myself, will ardently wish they could shake some sense into her. She makes countless recklessly bad decisions, either without considering the implications for the rest of the world or simply disregarding them entirely. At least both the novel and the character herself don't shy away from commenting on her own lack of forethought.


“‘Are you sure you can do this?’ he asked. Aemyra set her jaw. ‘Have I ever given you reason to doubt my skill before?’
‘No. Just your common sense.’”

Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of consistency with her character either. When we first meet her, she's a rebel and a brazen skirt chaser, barely bothering to keep her identity as the lost queen a secret and saying she's going to become a demon and burn everything to the ground. But apparently she has this other side, where she's a diehard noble queen wannabe who only wants what's best for her people, but also doesn't want to kill anyone. These two sides don't mesh together well and it's like A Fate Forged in Fire cannot decide what it wants Aemyra to be. The swinging from one extreme to the other is enough to give readers whiplash. I couldn't help but to compare Aemyra to another lost queen, Seleana/Aelin from Throne of Glass, who had the benefit of an entire series to show more inner conflict and complexities. Sadly, there's just not any nuance to Aemyra.

It doesn’t help that A Fate Forged in Fire is pretty messy and deliciously dramatic. While this makes for an incredibly interesting and edge-of-your-seat read, there’s never a lot of quiet time spent on just sitting with the characters and just getting to know them or their day-to-day life. In fact, most of these side characters don’t really exist outside of their relationship with Aemyra. Her twin brother, Adarian, doesn’t have a girlfriend or hobbies, has time despite his job in the forge to see his sister and make sure her revealing hair is covered, and is ready to drop everything for her at a mere thought. Characters also change their mind and motivations constantly. The writing, especially the dialogue, can be very over the top to the point of being melodramatic, which doesn't really help matters.

In the future novels in the series, I’d really like to see more world-building information. There is not enough information on where magic comes from, how it works, and how the bond works with dragons. The bond is not quite like Fourth Wing, with dragons being able to converse with their bonded humans telepathically, but the dragons are still intelligent creatures, and able to feel the emotions of their riders. However these dragons are more like pets than equals—something I find a little bit disappointing, but maybe this will bond will be further explored and deepened in future entries of the series.

Regardless, it feels very fitting in these times to read about a determined female heir trying to save her matriarchal kingdom from a patriarchal and religious takeover with some help from her new dragon and her former enemy turned lover. Despite it being a little rough around the edges and practically a fanfiction, I really enjoyed reading A Fate Forged in Fire and think its a great read for fans of Throne of Glass, Fourth Wing, and House of the Dragon. A Fate Forged in Fire does end on a cliffhanger, so readers who are not fans of that might want to wait for the next book in the series to release before picking the novel up. I will definitely be looking forward to the next release myself, as I am excited to see where it all goes next.

*All quotes taken from an ARC and subject to change at time of publication.

The synopsis of this book really got my attention, and I was hoping to love it, but I had a few issues with the characters and another couple things I don't want to mention for spoilers. At the beginning, the FMC is her own person and very capable and even skirting on the edge of badass, but then her choices and her attitude get in the way somewhat. There are some very predictable elements (which didn't really bother me) and some things were used a little too much and seemed to be repetitive. I also was not a fan of the ending.
On to the good: I thought this was well written and managed to keep my interest and keep me up late into the night. I also wasn't sure about the romance, but eventually ended up liking the MMC. The world building is a bit 50/50 as there were some confusing things and some really cool things going on. I think this will appeal to A LOT of readers and it will probably be very popular. I will definitely be continuing the series to see what happens.

If you like any of these things, you should pick this book up:
House of the Dragon
Fourth Wing
ENEMIES to lovers
Dragons

Enemies to lovers with a lot of world building and deep DEEP political issues for our girl to overcome. This is going to blow up like Quicksilver. It SHOULD. While we can't readily change our real-world situation, I'm all in on this fantasy to see how far we go to making a better world for the women in this story.

It's a little hard to get through some of the world building, but it's 1000% worth hanging in through it. 7 we travel more through the story, the locations and worldbuilding make more and more sense and click together. Do not give up before 50%. I promise you. I personally loved reading the world building and the underlying issues. The twists and turns were perfectly done, and the intrigue was at full blast.

If you're in it for the romance and not as much for the plot, you'll not be disappointed as the shift will take you more into what you're used to: forced marriage with the enemy. Delicious.

Dragon riders. Magic. Intrigue. Strong fmc. Hot broody male. And did I say forced marriage? So good.

I need the next book yesterday.  Addictive, powerful, meaningful, going-to-read-again story.

Since it's an arc, I can not share quotes, but believe me, there were some amazing ones throughout. Love this writer. Will live in my head. Need more.  Need to know what happens...

I want to preface this with I was provided an eARC by Netgally and Random House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

This book had it all!
Dragons
Spicy romance
Betrayal
Epic war scenes
Badass FMC

I enjoyed this book, it was a little slow to start but after getting through some world building it was a quick read.
I am looking forward to the sequel, mostly because I am a huge Aemyra fan. I loved how angsty she is and I cannot wait to see how she proceeds.

I agree with other reviews, move the pronunciation guide to the front. Would’ve been very helpful there.

This book is an absolute firestorm of tension, power, and romance. The world-building is rich with Celtic-inspired magic, dragons, and power struggles, making this a perfect read for anyone who loves high-stakes fantasy with a dash of sizzling chemistry. Every moment feels heightened, with Aemyra’s quest for justice and her struggle with her feelings for Fiorean creating an unforgettable journey. A definite must-read for fans of epic fantasy with romance that sets your heart ablaze.

5 stars! I can't stop thinking about the plot twists and the romance. For me, a book is five stars if it distracts me to the point that daily life comes second. It isn't fair to say I finished this book—this book finished me after an unplanned 8-hour reading spree. "A Fate Forged in Fire" is impossible to put down. I can't even begin to organize my thoughts, so here are 10 reasons why you should read this book:

1. It has DRAGON RIDERS!
2. A royal prince + a long-lost heir = forbidden romance!!!
3. There's elemental magic
4. Fiorean would burn the world for her (literally)
5. Sooo much romantic tension
6. It has MULTIPLE knife-to-the-throat scenes
7. The witty banter is top-tier (I bookmarked so many pages)
8. It has positive LGBTQIA+ representation
9. The fantasy world is inspired by Celtic culture
10. The plot twists kept me guessing until the final page
10.5. It's the first in a duology, so there's another book to come!

"A Fate Forged in Fire" is one of my favorite books of the year. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy—I need this on my bookshelf ASAP! I hope other readers get a chance to love this story as much as I do.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley; all opinions are my own.

I would like to start off by thanking Netgalley, Hazel McBride and publisher for a copy of this E-arc.

At the beginning I was skeptical on whether I would enjoy reading this book due to the character of the FMC. I was frustrated with her impulsive behavior, wishing she would bite her tongue; think things through before she said them. As the story progressed I realized it was part of her growth. I enjoyed this approach of developing her character.

I was quite heartbroken with all the hardships she went through. Aemyra felt so real to me I hate waiting for the next book. 😭 That cliff hanger got me!!!!

The romance was well paced. Perfect enemies to lovers! World building was fantastic. Dragons were top notch!

This has definitely been one of my best reads so far! 5/5 STARS!

What did I read?! And why am I now going to have to wait for the next book!

Rating: 5/5 🌟
Spice: 🌶🌶

This books is written in 3rd person and I am a person who struggles with 3rd person writing but this book was such an epic story! Aemyra is such a strong and bada** FMC and I absolutely loved how she was written! This book gave me everything I love:

Dragons!!
Knife to the throat!
HOT MMC!
Mythic creatures
and did I say DRAGONS!!!!

There was a scene towards the end that I was like internally screaming cause it was so intense and just no words but rage for the FMC!

Highly HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book! Can't wait for book two even though I know I'm going to be waiting a long time! Guess that just means a reread!

I think there are a lot of readers, especially those on tiktok who will appreciate this book. I will say that it ended up not being to my taste, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an audience who will be ravenous for the next book as well.

It has adventure, smut, war, politics, and dragons.

I will first list some of the things I really liked about this story:
1. The names. All of the names were amazing, which is a feat, because of a lot of fantasy books have at least one name that makes me cringe.
2. I loved that although the bonding of the dragons had some very predictable elements, Aemyra’s dragon ended up being dark dark purple, which sets it apart from the black dragon trope.
3. The fights scenes were fun!
4. I loved how Aemrya and Adarian really respected and cherished their adoptive parents.
5. Aemrya being bisexual was also a great addition to the plot. As a queer reader representation matters, and it wasn’t something mentioned once and skimmed over.

************************************************

On to the things that bothered me:
1. Some of the language in the sexual scenes was giving me the ick. Sometimes language makes or breaks whether smut is sexy or awkward and cheesy. I personally wasn’t a fan of phrases like slit, cockstand, or suckling nipples. I feel like as a mom, suckling nipples is what babies do, so I don’t love to read about it in a bedroom context.
2. I didn’t hate Aemrya, but I found myself less and less endeared to her as the story unfolded. She held such promise! She’s bold, she’s kind of cocky, and she backs it up with kicking ass. Then she makes idiot mistake suddenly, again and again. I’m sure it was to drive the plot forward, but it does make the reader less interested in her as a character.
3. Small, but weird thing for me. The main love interests sound like they look related. Auburn hair and green eyes.

It took me until about %50 in to this book to reach the point of "okay now I can't put this down" and it was like a rollercoaster after that I loved the MMC and I LOVED that the enemies to lovers in this book stayed true to that trope. I loved the banter and the characters were really loveable! It felt like at some points I was really there with these characters or watching a movie of the scenes and it mad the highs and lows that much more intense. I liked the ending and cant wait to see what we have in store for book two!!!

5 stars

LOVED this one! Once I delved into the world I didn’t want to come up! Strong FMC (with a few slip-ups in her story) and rich storyline. Read quickly and didn’t really experience any sections that drug on. Don’t want to give anything away but well worth the read.

Can’t wait for the second installment!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the arc!!

That was a crazy opening hook but I guess it did its job. The first half of the story had me completed enraptured, but it started going downhill for me when Fiorean captured Aemyra. The story then dragged on and on from the 45% mark until the end with a bunch of things happening, but at the same time, nothing happening at all. While there were some highlights in these remaining chapters, I struggled to connect with the writing that felt choppy and scrambled compared to the first half.

Regardless, I enjoyed the premises of the book. I loved the betrayals, the politics, the fight scenes, and Aemyra’s unyielding nature, and I can see that there is great potential for following books in this series!

I enjoyed A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride right up until the end, which disappointed me greatly — or maybe that’s just my tender heart! I’m hopeful the second volume will make up for it.

The good: the ending of this book was completely unexpected and twisted the story in a way that has me needing book 2!
The meh: The plot was great, but it was written in a way that at times had me wondering what I had missed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC.

The Fate Forged in Fire is the first book in a duology that follows Aemyra, the secret female heir to Tir Tiene, a once-matriarchal society where women ruled. However, after a century of male heirs, the society has shifted away from revering its goddesses. The rise of the True Religion has seized this opportunity, gradually stripping women of their power and suppressing them at every turn.

This Celtic-inspired high fantasy novel boasts extensive world-building that’s detailed without being overwhelming. While the abundance of unfamiliar terms made the beginning a bit slow, everything eventually clicked into place. The writing was solid, and the plot had potential, though some conflicts were resolved a little too quickly. The female main character (FMC) wasn’t my favorite—her arrogance could be grating at times. Additionally, her relationship with the male main character (MMC) felt a bit rushed; there was intense tension between them early on, but their shift from enemies to lovers happened too abruptly.

This book is a mix of romantic tension, secret royalty, and mythical creatures. It ends on a heart-wrenching cliffhanger and we will see how the author will wrap up the story.

I have not read a book that more clearly and fully makes you feel the female rage that this book does. Aemyra is the hidden but rightful heir to a kingdom that is slowly being taken over by the worst parts of a (basically christian) religion. In this world, it is magic passing through the female line that has ruled peacefully for ages but recent generations have not born female heirs. The traditional religion that governs the magic of the world is a matriarchy that Aemyra (FMC) is fighting to bring back. When her plan for taking the throne goes wrong and she loses people she loves, she goes after the enemy herself. She is a growing character in this first book making mistakes but slowly learning from them and reluctantly gaining allies is what would seem to be the worst situation.

Rating -🐉🐉🐉🐉 4/5
Genre- historic fantasy with some romance, LGBTQIA+,
Spice - 🌶️🌶️ 2/5
Pace -medium fast
vibes- deep, dark, and intense feminine rage against the patriarchy, religious trauma, multifacited characters and their development, Dragon mythology , political intrigue

Tropes- Enimies to lovers, LGBTQIA+ FMC, betrayal and trust issues

This was my first ever ARC edition of a book I ever read and can I just say how happy I am to have read it. This book was absolutely a 5 star read for me. I was drawn to it by the summary description and from the moment I started reading, I couldn’t stop. To me, this book was like Fourth Wing on steroids. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved fourth wing, but the elements in this book just did something to me. This book also reminded me of Game of Thrones in the best way possible. I am obsessed with the FMC. She is one of my new favorite FMC’s. She is completely determined to do what is right even though the society she is in belittles woman. I truly related to her character. The enemies to lovers was top tier. It felt like a true enemies to lovers in the sense that the romance wasn’t rushed to a point that wouldn’t make sense for their characters. The spice was definitely there which I loved. There were dragon riders, a unique magic system, possessiveness, feminine rage, what more could you ask for?? I am so pleased I got the chance to read this book and I am impatiently waiting for the second book in this duology because don’t even get me started on that ending. I don’t think I’ll ever recover until I find out what happens next.

As soon as I saw this I had to request, and was so excited I got the approval. I couldn't wait to dive into this, so I didn't and started reading almost immediately. I absolutely LOVED this book. The plot was amazing and I was so happy that the romance came in second to the rest of it. It had all the best tropes, and it did the enemies to lovers quite well. I am a sucker for good banter, and the banter here was fantastic. The ending killed me, but all these books seem to end on cliffhangers these days making you want more. I am absolutely looking forward to book 2 when it comes out!

4.5 ⭐️

A Fate Forged in Fire kicks off an exciting new fantasy romance series that promises to captivate fans of Danielle L. Jensen and Rebecca Yarros. With a delightful mix of beloved tropes and fresh twists, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves intricate world-building, sizzling romance, and compelling political intrigue.

At the heart of the story is Aemyra, the last heir to a once-thought-destroyed matriarchy. Hidden away for her protection, she must navigate a world of dangerous secrets, betrayal, and her own growing powers. As the last of her kind, Aemyra’s journey is both a personal quest for survival and a fight for her people’s legacy.

What truly sets this book apart are the rich, multi-layered elements woven into its narrative. The relationship between Aemyra and Prince Fiorean is full of tension, sparks, and intrigue. Their dynamic is further enhanced by an engaging mix of banter and the slow-burn romance that builds over time. There’s also an exciting magical system at play, where bonds with mystical creatures empower individuals, adding an extra layer of excitement to the story. And, of course, the dragons—an essential element of any good fantasy—are present in all their fiery glory.

Beyond the romance, A Fate Forged in Fire is rich in political machinations, making for a plot that’s both thrilling and unpredictable. Fantasy readers who love strong female protagonists, an LGBT normative world, diverse representations, and a healthy dose of drama, will be eagerly awaiting the next installment!