Oh man, I kept looking at the amount of book I had left to read and KNEW something was about to hit the fan and IT DID!

This book follows Aemyra who is the rightful queen of Tir Teine. She has hidden in the shadows (or really the forges) for a long while before she is finally allowed to come out of hiding and claim her throne. Of course, things go awry and she is captured. Prince Fiorean (second son of the mad king and the one who is sitting on Aemyra's rightful throne) is the fiercest fire wielder in the kingdom and eventually falls in love with Aemyra (as she does the same). There is yearning, steamy scenes, dragons, heartbreak, and betrayal - everything that makes a good fantasy!

I've seen some of the other reviews that have said they were annoyed with how the author doesn't explain the magic and, honestly, I don't really care. It's not needed and I kind of liked that a fantasy book didn't delve into every little bit of magic and exhaust me.

Tropes:
- enemies to lovers (and even more...)
- strong familial bonds (FMC has a twin brother and their relationship is incredible)
- dragons
- strong FMC and a story based on the matriarchy (which I LOVE!)
- big cliffhanger!

The only reason I'm giving this book 4 stars is because it was a little predictable (which might be good for some folks) but also it's link to Scottish Gaelic lore/history. I'm so beyond exhausted seeing authors use Scottish language to make up names and base their magic/lore in their world off of it. I think authors should bring just an ounce of creativity and you wouldn't have to use the Scottish language.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)
If you’re a fan of House of the Dragon, buckle up—this fantasy romance packs all the drama, betrayal, and dragons you could hope for! Knowing the author mentioned its origins as House of the Dragon fanfic (with a nod to Aemond Targaryen) should’ve been my first clue about the cliffhanger ending, but wow, was I still caught off guard!
Our FMC is fiery, sassy, and unapologetically stabby, delivering biting one-liners like, “Calm down”… “I assure you that no woman has ever calmed down after hearing those words.” Her dynamic with the MMC—brooding, intense, and harboring secrets—makes their enemies-to-lovers arc both electric and emotionally charged. The slow-burn tension builds beautifully, with some spice sprinkled in for those who like their fantasy romance a little steamy.
Dragons, betrayal, and a shocking twist at the end kept me hooked until the final page, though the cliffhanger left me desperate for the next installment. While the twist was a game-changer, some moments felt slightly predictable, but the well-crafted characters and high-stakes world more than made up for it.
A must-read for fans of epic fantasy romance with a side of danger, drama, and dragons!

Love a good dragon based fantasy book. It’s hard for me to resonate with the bisexual FMC, as I am not bisexual myself. Enemies to lovers is by far my favorite trope, so I was hooked by that alone. Hate a cliffhanger that I won’t get the answer to immediately though… can’t wait for the next book!

Riveting story. It's a great addition to the world of dragon fantasy books. A strong fmc is trying to save her people from the tyranny of a patriarchal regime being driven but an oppressive religion. Magic is also a big focus. A lot of a spice and a heavy emphasis on the enemies to lovers trope. There is some graphic SA so check trigger warnings. Overall it was a good read with a cliffhanger.

I gave this book an honest shot because it really sounds like something I would enjoy but it fell really flat and I was very underwhelmed. Alot happens in the first 30% of the book but to the point of feeling very disjointed and theres not a whole lot of explanation regarding the magic system and dragon bonding etc. I'm left believing all the secondary characters have interesting qualities because the never get any real attention. I also can't feel the enemies to lovers, its nothing but whiplash every few conversations. Which brings me to my biggest peeve and it was just how immature and out of character the FMC was at times. She had quite a few tantrums and outbursts that just felt out of place but she was pretty accepting about a forced marriage?? While I didn't hate reading this book, I'm on the fence about continuing the series. I think with better world building and some serious personal growth with the FMC, it has potential.

I’m not sure really what to rate this book so I gave it 3 stars. There were some parts I liked, but there were also a lot of things I didn’t like.

For starters, we get next to no information about the magic in this world. There are people who can do magic and those who can’t, and within the ones who can are different kinds of magic. Main character Aemyra has fire magic so that’s really all we see in the book, with just random asides about how her guards can do other kinds. But no info on why some people have magic and others don’t, no background on how that affects the ruling of their land. (The current ruling family is made up mostly of magic users but no info on whether or not the rulers have always had magic and how that affects the people in town who don’t have it. There’s a clear power divide but the author fails to delve into how that affects the characters.)

Actually, the only power divide the author really goes into is the one between people of different religions and men vs women (which, given one of the religions, are tied together). The whole religious aspect was a little odd but I can’t put my finger on exactly how. But I did find it weird and contradictory that Aemyra’s people, who swear by the goddess and revere women above all, seemed to have remarkably little faith in her abilities to lead them.** Her father, who supposedly wants her on the throne, is basically leading everyone like he’s the king and even their female general is a bit dismissive to Aemyra towards the end.

**As contradictory as the above all was, Aemyra does actually make a lot of stupid decisions in this book that do sort of prove she’s not ready to be Queen yet. What’s disappointing in that is that we’re told multiple times how her father gave her so many lessons on sword fighting and history and being a Queen… and yet she doesn’t seem to put any of that to use (except sword fighting but still).

I actually would have liked to see her getting those lessons as a child, something to show her actually learning instead of the reader just being told all the time that she knows this stuff. Instead, the beginning of the book is spent being coy about why Aemyra has to wear a scarf to cover her hair. It literally makes no sense being all secretive about hiding who she is when the summary of the book tells you right away that she’s supposed to be the Queen.

The beginning of the book also felt like the author was trying too hard, in a way. The writing style felt almost unnatural, like she was using how other authors write in their books with kickass female leads so she’s going to do the same thing so you understand just how cool and kickass Aemyra is. I mean, the first line of the book is,
“As Aemyra crouched in front of the laboring mother, she came to the sudden realization that she only enjoyed having her face between a woman’s legs when she was screaming out in pleasure, not in pain.”
As funny as some might think that line, I just found it an odd tone to start the book off on. I also didn’t like that once her old flame Sorcha was rescued, all she did was make snide quips about Aemyra being with someone else. You guys weren’t even an official couple! I just thought that was a weird thing to do with the only other bi (or possibly lesbian character) in the book. (I think there’s a line that mentions a guy and his husband, and there is one nonbinary character, but I believe that’s it as far as representation goes. Which also makes the whole women vs men/religion debate odd. You’re fine with non-heterosexual people but I’m supposed to believe a religion that thinks men are the best and that women are there solely to have their husbands’ kids is gaining huge popularity without being detrimental to said non-hetero folks??

Honestly, the book didn’t even get super interesting to me until around 60/65%, which is a lot of blah to put up with. But I enjoyed the parts where Aemyra was being kept in the castle, partly because some interesting plot lines were being developed here that I thought had potential. And then Aemyra escaped the castle and those threads were cut off in rather lame and predictable ways. :/ The romance was ok, but could’ve been better if it hadn’t been so rushed, though I do appreciate the enemies to lovers still being enemies at the end of the book. Super predictable given everything that was happening but appreciated.

I don’t know. I should probably rate this 2 or 2.5 stars instead. All in all, it felt like the author was trying too hard to write a book about a kickass woman and was writing things how she thought they were supposed to be written (very trope-y) instead of taking her time and exploring this world and giving the characters and plot beats the depth they deserved and needed to be what could’ve been a decently good book.

I will always be interested in reading a book involving dragons! While that wasn't the entire focus of this story, I enjoyed every moment of this book. As it started getting heavier politically and religiously, I thought that it was going to lose my interest, but it didn't. The author put so many details and thought into every aspect of this book and it is so well written.

Aemyra is one of the strongest FMC that I have probably ever read about. She endured some terrible things done to her by the enemies. Despite everything, she still stays strong and continues to fight for her throne as the Queen of Tìr Teine.

Prince Fiorean... I don't even know where I want to start with him. He is easily the better option between the two princes, but he also has his flaws. I went from hating him, to liking him, to hating him again. He is a mastermind of manipulation and the lengths that he went to achieve some goals is quite shocking.

I don't know how I am going to be able to wait for the sequel, because WHAT?! That cliffhanger was brutal, my mouth was wide open reading the last 30 or so pages. The emotions that I felt is one of the many reasons why this book deserves 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Hazel McBride for an Arc of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride is about a woman attempting to claim her throne as queen. Overall, I gave this book 3 stars because of the action, world, characters, and dragons; however, the storyline was incredibly predictable. The twists were not really twists because from the first few chapters I predicted exactly what was going to happened and I was right. The tropes progressed exactly as you thought, which made the book less exciting. For example, the FMC changed from hating the MMC to loving him, all while the MMC went from hating the FMC to pretending to love her, all while plotting against her. Further, the father who acts like a teacher, is vulnerable for one chapter and FMC believes his softer side, all while he is also plotting against the FMC’s wishes.
The political tones of this book were clear: body autonomy, sterilization, women’s choice, equality, religious persecution and cult behavior, brainwashing, and others.
Strengths of the book:
- Strong FMC who does not back down
- Storyline focusing on a matriarchy
- Strong family dynamics FMC has with brother and adoptive family
- Bonded dragons and detail about how the bond develops
- A lot of action throughout the book
- The fire magic was different
- Cliffhanger at the end

Areas I did not love:
- Super predictable (which may be a good thing for some readers)
- I am not a fan of enemies to lovers to enemies, especially because the transition is so sudden with such little detail at the end (see next bullet point for context). It felts rushed and did not make the most sense to me.
- There are some parts of the book where there is a transition and it was done so quickly I missed it. I had to go back and re-read, sometimes getting and sometimes still confused. More detail regarding shifts from one part of the story to the next would have been helpful.
o Example: she is out walking, her father finds her, and suddenly they are in a church and she is being sworn in as queen. It was so sudden and I could not figure out how we got here so fast.
o She just happens to land, find a dragon, and bond, immediately after not bonding with another dragon. I did not get how she could just mysteriously and easily find her dragon that has been hiding for a long time from everyone.
- The multiple failed attempts by the FMC for whatever the task was, was repetitive and, again, played into the predictability.

My head is all over the place with this one. I’m going to try and coherently explain how I feel but honestly my brain is jumbled.

The first half of the book was tedious and I considered DNFing but holy moly the second half was magical. The stage was set and the story took off!

I liked the FMC, Aemyra, but I anticipate the feelings most people have for her being all over the board. She’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea but I truly enjoyed her. Yes she was arrogant but you know what, I LIKE MY FMCs ARROGANT! That’s a good thing to me… female characters don’t need to be docile. I like when they let it rip just like the men do. Which leads me to another high point, the freaking feminism was DIVINE. Female empowerment to the maxxxx. I ate it up.

The story was a true enemies to lovers which I realized I’ve been missing out on. This was no little misunderstanding, this was genuine hate mixed with lust. Honestly 5 stars in that department. I FELT their hatred but I also felt their connection. Extremely well done.

Now to the ending, it ripped open my heart and stomped all over it. I saw it coming but it didn’t soften the blow. Up until the end I felt like the book was a solid 4 stars, but the ending made me so upset that I considered dropping it to 3. But I’m gonna stick with 4 because the quality was high and I don’t want to punish the story for making me care too much. But honestly, brutal. I’m going to read book 2 but there’s going to have to be some serious reveals and/or groveling to make this right.

In summary, 4 stars. All hail Aemyra. Hazel McBride you hurt me.

I think Thai book has a lot of potential to be a great read! I really just could not get into it and ended up DNFing at around 20%. The FMC just annoyed me and I didn’t really understand what was going on half the time. The pronunciation of characters and towns was really difficult and made me have to slow down a lot.

My full review is on Goodreads (linked below) but I wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to receive the ARC!

A Fate Forged in Fire met all of my wildest expectations and then some. It is beautifully written, perfectly paced, and the Scottish folklore and worldbuilding woven throughout really added a unique element that truly sets it apart from similar novels in this genre. I truly cannot wait for the second book in the duology, and will be happily adding this to my physical library collection when it releases in 2025!

Political intrigue, a hidden bisexual queen, betrayals, enemies to lovers romance, Scottish-based world building, religious conflict, and DRAGONS! I absolutely devoured this book over the span of a few days and my only regret is that I now have to wait even longer for the next chapter in Aemyra's story. If any of the listed tropes piques your interest, absolutely get this on your TBR list.

Having lived in the shadows for her entire life, Aemyra is finally called up by her estranged father to claim her rightful place on the throne after the king dies. This is of course complicated by the current ruling family who is determined to maintain patriarchal dominance and are backed by the True Religion, which views the magic that runs through many of the people's veins as evil and is determined to push women to serve men. Aemyra needs to learn how to be a queen all while finally being exposed to the realities of court and her father's machinations. Oh, and I forgot to mention some absolutely delightful spicy scenes between Aemyra and her eventual love interest.

As I said, I really enjoyed this book and will be coming back for the next installment - I did find some of the beats of the story to be relatively predictable with the genre, however, I was still happy to be along for the ride. The pacing also did seem a bit off toward the end where so many events happen at once and there just didn't seem to be enough space to let the story breathe a bit as it crescendoed. I also wish we saw a bit more character development from Aemyra as she gets more entrenched into everything going on, but I hope that gets fleshed out further in the next book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy.

At the heart of the story is Aemyra, a heroine born into a legacy of power but forced into hiding as she navigates the treacherous waters of court life. Blessed by fire, she is as fierce and fiery as the element that marks her destiny. The depth of her character is one of McBride's greatest strengths; Aemyra is not merely a caricature of a princess waiting for her moment; she is a woman torn between ambition, duty, and the harsh realities of a kingdom plagued by betrayal. Her inner conflict provides the emotional core of the book, as she wrestles with the weight of her heritage and the expectations it carries.
The introduction of Prince Fiorean adds a compelling twist to the narrative. Cold and arrogant, he embodies the very traits that Aemyra loathes. However, as their fates collide, McBride skillfully peels back the layers of his character, revealing vulnerabilities that make him far more complex than he initially appears. Their reluctant alliance evolves beautifully, creating a dynamic filled with tension and chemistry as both characters are forced to confront their prejudices and inherent loyalties.
McBride's exploration of magic and its intersection with power offers a fascinating commentary on the consequences of fear and oppression. The True Religion's suffocating grip on Tìr Teine serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of dogma and the courage it takes to challenge it.
Overall, this story is a powerful exploration of what it means to fight for one’s rightful place in a fractured world. Hazel McBride has crafted a captivating story that entwines intrigue, romance, and the nuances of power dynamics in a refreshing way. I recommend this book to fans of fantasy who appreciate complex characters and an enthralling plot woven with themes of love, loss, and the struggle for justice.

This was a DNF for me (page 84). I’m honestly not sure why I could not get into this book, but it felt like pulling teeth trying to get through the first 100 pages. I had a lot of trouble connecting with literally any of the characters or caring about their motivations. In the little that I did read, Aemyra came off as hyper-aggressive and hyper-sexual with no explanation or reason as to why she was that way. I’m totally okay with a main character that is unreliable, flawed, or morally gray, but I’m pretty sure that the author wasn’t going for that when writing Aemyra.

Ultimately, I decided to give this two stars because there’s a possibility I might come back to this book to give it a second chance. There was just something holding me back from enjoying this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of A Fate Forged in Fire!

It took me a bit longer than expected, but I finally finished A Fate Forged in Fire, and... well, I have some mixed feelings. On the one hand, I absolutely loved that the story pulls from Scottish folklore—it’s such a refreshing change from the typical fantasy landscapes. Plus, dragons. Seriously, throw in a dragon or two, and that’s an automatic 45% boost to the awesomeness factor, right?

But... here's the kicker. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. They just didn’t grab me the way I’d hoped. And the pacing? Oof. It took a while for me to really get hooked, and then the big moments felt spaced out too far. There were times when it felt like the story was dragging its feet with filler material. Not ideal, especially when you’re waiting for the plot to pick up.

BUT. (Yes, a big but.) The ending? Oh, the ending was *chef’s kiss* level good. That betrayal? Gut-punch. The cliffhanger? Savage. I’m pretty sure I’ll have no choice but to pick up the next book when it drops, even if I’m still grumbling about the pacing.

So yeah, while this book wasn’t a home run for me, I think it’s still worth a shot—if only because you’re going to want to know what happens next. Trust me.

3 stars
This book was alright not great or anything super special. The MFC was annoying and I didn’t feel any connection to her or any of the other characters.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this amazing book for an honest review. Hazel McBride did an amazing job building the world and creating political tension. If you enjoy enemies to loves this book is for you! Aemyra is a strong and powerful MC and I loved reading about her own personal conflicts. Fiorean is a perfect love interest and the tension between the two characters is *chefs kiss*. The ending left my jaw on the floor and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series to see what happens next. Despite how much I enjoyed this book, I felt like there could have been some changes to make the book even better. Aemyra is a great MC, however there was limited growth in her character and she stayed the same from the beginning of the book to the end. My other complaint is that the end of the book felt rushed. I felt like the final events got pushed through quickly when it could have been in more detail.

If you enjoy enemies to loves, dragons, political tension, and fantastic world building check out A Fate Forged In Fire. I would definitely recommend it!

Title: A Fate Forged in Fire
Author: Hazel McBride
Genre: Romantasy
Overall: 4/5
I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I loved reading it. Once I got through the exposition, I had to force myself to put it down! I hate that it won’t be published until late May of 2025, and I have to wait until then to discuss it with my friend group. Additionally, I hate that I have to wait for the follow-up ! I need more!
I think this book is something special, and that romantasy fans will love it.
- - -
From the Publisher:
“To become the first queen in centuries, a powerfully blessed blacksmith must use her wits and fire magic to overthrow the corrupt powers ruling her kingdom-while also fighting her growing desire for one of her dragon-riding adversaries—in the first book of a sizzling Celtic-inspired fantasy romance duology. Once a territory built on matriarchal rule and values, Tir Teine has since grown frail from a long line of fruitless kings. The most recent of which have ruled under the influence of the True Religion, an oppressive group who have steadily poisoned the region with their anti-magic teachings.
Born to rule and blessed by fire, Aemyra has begrudgingly lived in hiding rather than risk her life in court, waiting in anticipation for the current king's death so she can bond to his dragon, claim her throne, and protect her people. But when the king dies and Aemyra is ready to take what is rightfully hers, her ambitious plan is foiled and she is thrust into a game of vicious politics and plots. Her biggest adversary is Prince Fiorean, a dragon-rider and one of the most powerful fire wielders in the territory. Cold, arrogant, and blindly supportive of his corrupt family, he is everything Aemyra despises. But as chaos engulfs the court, they find themselves reluctantly entwined, forced to forge an uneasy alliance-one that quickly ignites into something more dangerous than either of them expected. Behind enemy lines and slowly falling for her so-called adversary, Aemyra uncovers just how far the rot of corruption has spread, and what she may have to sacrifice to claim her throne.”

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, secret royalty

- - -
Characters: 4/5
Aemyra: 4/5
Aemyra’s driving force is to protect her people from harm, and she believes that by taking her rightful place as Queen, she can do just that. She is headstrong and fearless, and is indeed a strong female protagonist. That being said, she is deeply flawed, and I am of the belief that she is written that way on purpose. She makes a lot of mistakes throughout the book, but I think that is much more believable than having an FMC who is naturally good at everything she does.
Fiorean 3/5
Fiorean remained an almost complete mystery to me throughout the book. I assume that we will find out more about him in the next book.
Antagonists 5/5
The primary antagonists in the book are made up of the followers of the True Religion. They’re a non-magical people who believe that magic and goddess-worship should be extinguished from the world, and they are led in our story by two characters within the city: Sir Nairn and Athair Alfred. They are BIG bad. (There is for sure a comparison here between the True Religion and… other major religions, but that’s a different discussion.)
Spice: 2/5 (there weren’t very many spicy scenes in this book, but the ones that were written were great!)
Suspense: 4/5 (Truly, I couldn’t put it down)
Emotional: 4/5
There are some very triggering scenes: medical assault (plays out on page), loss of parents (one on page, one off page), death of children
Thrill:
World Building - 4/5
Perfect for fans of: The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King (Crowns of Nyaxia #2) This has a similar vibe to Oraya and Raihn’s story.
Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Hazel McBride for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. It has been an honor and a privilege to read your work.

This book was incredibly hard to follow in my eyes. The entire dragon aspect felt very reminiscent of Fourth Wing. My favorite part of the book was the time Aemyra was in the castle, especially seeing her relationship with Fiorean unfold. However, in the beginning chapters of the book Aemyra made a comment about "not liking c*ck" which seemed very disrespectful to throw her into a heterosexual relationship. Why spend the time showcasing the progressiveness of Aemyra liking women but then disregarding that entirely. It made me feel very unsettled.

I am so thankful to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc.

I greatly enjoyed the world building and story as I read this book so quickly. I was intrigued by the synopsis, captivated by the characters, and then was left feeling empty when I finished. A Fate Forged in Fire is for sure set to be an up and coming story that will capture everyone’s attention.