A Fate Forged in Fire is a thrilling start to a Celtic-inspired fantasy romance that hooked me from the first page. Aemyra, a fire-wielding blacksmith with royal blood, is a strong, determined protagonist whose journey to reclaim her throne is full of twists, magic, and political intrigue. Her fire magic and complex character made her incredibly relatable and easy to root for.

The chemistry between Aemyra and Prince Fiorean is one of the highlights. At first, they’re enemies, but their slow-burn romance was addicting and well-paced. Fiorean’s cold, arrogant nature clashes with Aemyra’s fiery spirit, creating the perfect tension, and I found myself drawn to their developing dynamic as they reluctantly work together.

The world-building is impressive, with a richly crafted kingdom that feels alive and steeped in history. The political tension and corrupt power structures kept me on edge, and I loved how Aemyra’s journey was both personal and political.

Overall, A Fate Forged in Fire is a captivating blend of romance, magic, and intrigue. The plot never slows down, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next. Huge thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC. Highly recommend for fans of fantasy and romance!

This book had me sucked in from page one and I am absolutely obsessed. I ran and pre-ordered it just so I could own a physical copy.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed a lot of it, but the female main character was very hard to like because she exhibits the tired old trope of arrogant, young, know-it-all who gets into trouble because she's too emotional and the plot needs her to be dumb so it can throw her into peril, multiple times. And while the sex scenes are very detailed and good, the fight scenes are more generic and seem to run shorter. The main characters lacked any deep connection other than the twins, but then there was the moment where the father opens up to his daughter which made me like him more. I wish there had been a bit more of that. I also wish the heroine could have learned more about her captors to shift her view instead of constantly plotting escape and revenge. I also have mixed feelings about the ending. Once again, I feel like our main character was rash, but I do love the consequences and can't wait for the next book to see how she recovers. The writing was solid, no complaints there. Just some plot elements that could have been done better, and the villains who could have been a bit more three dimensional. I caught glimpses of why they wanted to do what they were doing but did they have anything else going for them except pulling out yet another trick nobody saw coming in order to overpower our heroes?

3.5 stars

the first part of the book and the world building with the politics, magic, and dragons was great. As a GoT and fourth wing fan, i love anything with dragons.

i felt like the enemies to lovers was slightly lacking which made the middle of the book not as appealing to me. i was just missing a connection between the two. i did enjoy her relationship with her twin adrian.
- tropes: forced proximity, arranged marriage.

the ending was epic. it jumped back into the tension that was created in the beginning and set up for hopefully a great sequel

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House and Hazel McBride for this eARC! This is the first ever ARC I’ve requested and also the first I’ve ever read and I’m not sure if it can be beat.

I originally heard about this on bookstagram from @madsbookfinsta - I saw it was House of the Dragon inspired & inspired by Scottish culture (written by a Scottish author) and immediately knew I wanted to read it & it did not disappoint!!!

I don’t even know where to begin. First of all, I loved the characters in this book. Our FMC, Aemyra, kinda gives off generic bad ass main girl energy INITIALLY but I really truly think McBride packed so much character development into the story that Aemyra did not feel boring, or stagnant, or cliched, and at the end felt like a real person to me with complex opinions and failures and beliefs. I found myself caring about the side characters, many of whom were surprisingly layered, and let me just say: I don’t usually care about side characters. While the MMC is not “my type” in a fantasy romance, I still really enjoyed his character and think I would die if we got like a single chapter from his POV (exclusive editions?? Please??).

I also really liked what we saw of the world and am excited to explore it more thoroughly. I initially found it a little hard to get into, but I don’t think that’s by fault of the author - there’s a lot of words and sounds I was unfamiliar with and it was hard for me to grasp on to the difference people and places. While reading it I was thinking an audiobook would have helped me with pronunciations, or even a pronunciation guide. Of course, there is a pronunciation guide but it’s at the end. So!! If you are reading this please note: THE PRONUNCIATION GUIDE IS AT THE END!! & hopefully you do not make the same mistake I did.

Additionally, the first ~40% of of the book kind of felt like a prequel to the rest of the book: it’s interesting and good and serves the purpose to set the context for the last 60%, but that last 60% is when things really pick up. I couldn’t put it down and I was reading on my phone since I left my kindle in another state… so if I couldn’t stop reading this on my phone I feel like that’s a glowing endorsement enough lowkey.

So if you pick this up and you don’t feel immediately obsessed I’d encourage you to keep reading, get through the world building and actually learn it (& the language). It was also such a real treat to have a window into another real culture written by an author who’s experienced that culture!!

The only actual feedback I have is I think when this gets published having the pronunciation guide at the front coupled with maybe a glossary of places/important characters would be very helpful!

If you’re still here this is the last thing (I promise): this is I guess actually the traditionally published version of a HOTD fanfic, of a couple who was not even on my radar as one people shipped. So if I went crazy over that romance… yeah! Basically I really loved this read, am excited for it to get the attention it deserves, & am going to lay awake the next few weeks thinking about that ending 🫠

I kind of want to give this book 4.5 stars but I keep going back and forth. There were obvious parts I loved and there were parts I needed a bit more explanation of. Did I guess the major plot points? Yes, but it was still a fun read for me. It stirred up emotions in me and that’s always a good read when I book can do that. Viking inspired, dragons and a dumb yet bad ass FMC. And never thought I needed a fire daddy until this book. I’m lowkey anxious for the next one. Please don’t make me wait forever.

This book will definitely be a hit! It's has an exquisite enemies to lovers with a lot of tension and incredible banter. I love the feminist undertone of the story and the critique to religion. Here are a couple quotes I loved:

“A woman’s purpose can be found in having children. However, a woman is so much more than just a mother. She is an individual with her own passions and desires far beyond those of her husband. Just because we possess a womb doesn’t mean that we don’t also have a brain.”

"Weak men would rather guilt strong women than become strong themselves, and Aemyra was content to show him what strength truly looked like."

My only problem is that the world building was very confusing. At the beginning this almost made me stop reading but I powered through and the story made it worth it. However, I don't appreciate getting to the end of the book and not really understanding the magic system. There are too many different Gods and it is not clear who gets magic or not and the small amounts of information we get in through info dumps. I hope we get more answers in the next book.

As soon as I heard about this one, I knew it would be great. I was so excited to get the email letting me know that I’d been approved. If you’re a fan of fantasy and adventure, you’ll love this one. Hazel McBride delivers a story that feels both familiar and completely unique. You have to check this one out!

A Fate Forged in Fire had all the ingredients for a gripping fantasy—dragons, political intrigue, and a heroine fighting for her rightful throne. Unfortunately, the execution left me more frustrated than enthralled.

Aemyra, the supposed “fiery” FMC, was less of a fierce leader and more of an arrogant, insufferable character who constantly belittled others while making reckless decisions. Her personality felt forced, like the author was trying too hard to make her a badass without giving her any real depth. Meanwhile, Fiorean, the rival-turned-love-interest, was as bland as they come. Their chemistry? Practically nonexistent. For a romance that was supposed to be charged with tension and high stakes, their dynamic fell completely flat.

The world-building was another weak point. Instead of immersing me in Tìr Teine’s political turmoil, I was left drowning in a sea of names, concepts, and rushed developments with little to ground them. The fast pacing didn’t help—rather than keeping me engaged, it made everything feel underdeveloped and hard to follow.

I’ll give credit where it’s due—the dragon fights had some cool moments, and the ending was almost redeeming. But overall, this book was a struggle to get through. Not for me.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked this book. It felt different, although it was influenced by Game of Thrones (the good parts).

The plot is great and it was a fun read. I loved the fact that this is a matriarchal system and that the religion is based on the goddess. It was very interesting seeing how this new True Religion is trying to make things less focused on women and how the men that are part of that religion treat women in a very different way. Women's rage is a center of this story, where the main character (Aemyra), a bisexual woman, was born with special powers and a destiny to accomplish. Fiorean (the MMC) is a pretty flat character at the beginning, but I liked how he evolved in the book, although there is a lot I want to see in the next book from him. Transition from enemies to lovers felt rushed , I would have expect a little bit more of slow burn

At the beginning, it was pretty difficult to follow the Gaelic names, and the huge amount of information shared in the first two chapters were a bit too much at first, but once you get into the world, it is an incredible world, full of magic, dragons, and interesting societies and religions. The second part of the book flew by, and I could not put it down.

I like the evolution of the character, and although the love story was totally expected, I really liked how it developed. This book contains spicy but it has the right amount of spiciness for me.

There is an unexpected plot twist and the book ends in a pretty interesting situation. I will 100% sure read the next book in this series!

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

A Fate Forged in Fire tells the story of Aemyra and her efforts to claim her rightful throne as the first queen born in centuries.
This was such an anticipated read for me. I tend to love celtic based Fantasy worlds and especially ones with dragons. But I found our main character incredibly frustrating. The point was to take back her crown from the corrupt patriarchal leaders and yet she was unable to make even the smallest of decisions without looking to her father, brother, or even Fiorian for approval.
I did find myself completely shocked at the ending and will read the final book in the duology because I must know how this plays out.

Side Note : Be aware that there is an assault on a female character in an attempt at forced sterilization that is quite graphic.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.

4.25⭐️ Really entertaining read. I could not put this down.

Fans of GOT and Fourth Wing. Similar political intrigue as House of the Dragon, with a sassy FMC like Violet, this book kept me hooked from start to finish.

Loved the journey Aemyra goes through, both personally and fighting for her right to the thrown. I started off not really liking her as a main character but she quickly grew on me.

The love interest was meh 🫤 lol. I wanted more from him! He just missed the mark for me. It was easy to see him as the enemy, but the transition to lover seemed kind of glossed over and was unrealistic.

That cliffhanger though! I don’t know how any of the characters are going to come back from that ending 🙈.

Hello enemies-to-lovers romantasy! I think the author did a good job of illustrating the contempt Aemyra has for the ruling king and his fa,iky as well as how loyal Fiorean is to his family and their beliefs. While this an enemies to lovers story, I was glad that the author made it a slow burn instead of an insta-love caused by the forced proximity. I think the author did angood job of creating and developing Aemyra, and I liked then idea of her being a strong, capable blacksmith instead of the fragile lost princess we usually see in books, She isn't written as a sit back and wait for someone to solve her problems type of FMC, and that made this story even more enjoyable. Fiorean is well-developed too so their banter felt genuine/believable in a way that helped them balance each other out. The world building was amazing and immersive. I think the author did a good job of giving up details but doing so in a way that kept me engaged with the story. This will definitely be many peoples top reads of 2025.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

The plot was interesting but the beginning was very hard for me to get into, so much information and so many names that I couldn’t figure out how to pronounce. I really struggled to enjoy the political/religious aspect of the world building but ultimately it fell very flat for me.

The FMC, Aemyra was not my favorite. She was constantly making rash decisions and acting childish in my opinion.

The ending was a bit better for me, but I still felt like “ I need to power through” the majority of this book versus reading for enjoyment. I really wanted to like this book, but I don’t think it was for me.

From the first sentence, yes I literally mean the first sentence, until the last, I was hooked and entranced in the world that Hazel McBride built and let flow. The stubbornness and pride that elevated Aemyra’s character made her stand out to me in a competition of FMCs, and is currently high on my list. She not only takes no crap from anyone, but she is also unapologetically herself. The world building was captivating, though confusing at times, and left you in a breathtaking world of dragons, magic, and unyielding politics. In terms of character development, we saw a lot of just Aemyra and I wished that other characters had more of a chance to be fleshed out. We were only getting this surface level feel to them and I know there is much more to be explored. The themes relating to the political climate had me wanting to hurl my kindle to the floor multiple times. You could feel the struggles through the pages and give way to the tension that pushed this story forward. I am anxious to see how the rest of this story unfolds after the ending.

“Until I met you, my life was free from torment. Free from your hateful face across a table, free from the anguish of hearing your voice in my halls. Warring against my better judgment every time my blood was set alight by a simple brush of your skin.”

I can’t get over A Fate Forged in Fire!!!! This fantasy romance is true enemies to lovers where they are both going to unalive each other for the throne. I literally could not put this down. Aemyra is one of the most fierce characters I’ve read. In a world where men rule, she is the true queen. What held me captive the most is the special bond between a dragon and their warrior, I might have cried. You want dragons and fire power, this is it.

“I am the only female born of Clan Daercathian in the last hundred years, blessed by Brigid herself, and my claim to the throne supersedes yours.”

“I hate it when men say whatever they think you want to hear the minute they lose their power.”

“However, a woman is so much more than just a mother. She is an individual with her own passions and desires far beyond those of her husband. Just because we possess a womb doesn’t mean that we don’t also have a brain.”

Enemies to lovers fantasy with dragons and a blacksmith that has fire magic. It was interesting and exciting first book of a duology (which is a type of series I love). Will definitely read the next one. Thanks to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this advanced copy.

Intense world building. I was invested in the characters from the start. Wonderful slow burn romance. Wow,

This book made me realize I have GOT to stop reading unfinished series, but I just can't help myself. I need book 2 immediately.

If you're looking for a dragon-forward fantasy with Celtic roots, look no further.

Blending court intrigue, fire magic, and a slow-burning enemies-to-lovers romance, this Celtic-inspired fantasy is impossible to put down. At the heart of the story is Aemyra, a blacksmith born to rule but forced into hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to reclaim her kingdom. When the corrupt king finally dies, she’s ready to bond with his dragon and take her rightful place on the throne... until her plan crumbles, and she’s thrown into a ruthless battle for power.

Aemyra is the kind of protagonist you can’t help but root for. She's bold, determined, and fiercely loyal to her people. But, she's up against Prince Fiorean: a dragon warrior who’s as infuriating as he is powerful, standing firmly in the way of her destiny. Their dynamic is electric, filled with witty banter, tension, and just the right amount of slow-burn heat. Watching their relationship shift from rivalry to reluctant alliance (and more???) is one of the best parts of this book.

Beyond the romance, the world-building is rich and immersive. The kingdom of Tir Teine is steeped in history, from its matriarchal past to the growing grip of the True Religion, which seeks to stamp out magic altogether.

With its blend of magic, dragons, and high-stakes romance, this book is perfect for fans of fierce heroines, morally-complex love interests, and fantasy worlds brimming with danger. The tension never lets up, the chemistry burns bright, and by the time the last page turns, you’ll be desperate for the sequel. I know I am!!! *Sigh* Please write faster, Hazel McBride.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“You are descended from ancient queens. Fire runs through your veins. Embrace it.”

Now this is the way Fourth Wing should’ve been, with a fierce and loyal to her kingdom FMC that parallels to Throne of Glass and will do anything for her kingdom.

A Fate Forged in Fire is a Celtic-inspired fantasy-romance duology that introduces us to Aemyra, a fiery and badass, female lost heir who needs to reclaim her rightful place and overthrow the corrupt powers that have taken over her kingdom, including a dragon-rider prince devoted to his family’s rule, while navigating a political court filled with betrayal and deceit that shows her struggles in staying true to her vision of being a True Queen to her people.

The author immediately transports you to a new take on a medieval fantasy world while distinctly introducing elements reflecting Celtic culture that gives the novel character while making it flow easily in a plot filled with political intrigue, betrayal, and plot twists that will have you hooked and rushing to uncover what happens next.

I found the book to be fast-paced but with enough clarity that you can see how all of the elements seamlessly connect and work towards the final battle, along with a cliff hanger you don’t see coming. I loved the take on Aemyra and her journey as she deals with family, power, and coming to terms with her growing attraction to the prince with a powerful ancestry backing her. Her interactions with the prince are always emotionally-charged and intense as they both reveal their complex flaws with a fiery-heat between them that reflects their powerful elemental magic. The take on dragons was unique and reflected how the bonded relationship between rider and dragon connects on a deep, emotional level. Overall, this dangerous and passionate romance mixed with constant plotting, hidden agendas, and war elements with dragons makes readers root for our FMC to regain her crown and a fantasy novel to remember.